PL AI N  FACT  S  AB  OUr 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 

SAN  DIEGO 


PLAIN    FACTS   ABOUT 
MEXICO 


LONGITUDE  105  *'-^'  F*01 


"— ^^njjuj^jr    -  Q  U .Li  t     *"•• 
rtAngel      T  E  R  V  ^  NT  E  P  E  C 


PLAIN  FACTS 
ABOUT   MEXICO 

THE    COUNTRY,    STATES  AND   CITIES 

THE     PEOPLE,    THE     RESOURCES 

GOVERNMENT  AND  STATISTICS 

BY 

GEORGE  J.  HAGAR 

WITH   MAPS 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS  PUBLISHERS 
NEW  YORK  AND  LONDON 


PLAIN  FACTS  ABOUT  MEXICO 


Copyright,   1916.  by   Harper  &   Brothers 
Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 
Published  August,  1916 

C-Q 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PACE 

I.  NATURAL  AND  RACIAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION  i 

II.  AGRICULTURAL  AND  MINING  INDUSTRIES  ....  19 

III.  MEXICO'S  GREATEST  NATURAL  ASSET 31 

IV.  COMMERCE,  BANKING,  AND  FINANCE 36 

V.  TRANSPORTATION,  TELEGRAPH,  AND  TELEPHONE  COM- 

PANIES        44 

VI.  CONSTITUTION  AND  GOVERNMENT 49 

VII.  STATES  AND  TERRITORIES  OF  THE  FEDERATION    .    .  56 

VIII.  AMERICAN  INVESTMENTS 74 

INDEX 79 


FOREWORD 

'T'HIS  is  a  convenient  summary  of  the  salient 
•*•  facts  regarding  Mexico's  natural,  racial,  and 
economic  features  and  plans  of  government  and 
finance.  In  a  brief  compass  easily  available  for 
the  busy  man  this  book  aims  to  answer  the  ques- 
tion, "What  is  Mexico?"  History  and  internal 
troubles  are  not  touched  upon.  It  is  a  matter  of 
immediate  importance  to  have  at  hand  the  basic 
facts  regarding  the  great  republic  to  the  south  of 
us  with  which  we  are  necessarily  intimately  asso- 
ciated. This  bird's-eye  view  of  natural,  racial, 
economic,  industrial,  and  institutional  conditions 
will  answer  questions  which  indicate  a  lack  of  a 
convenient  vade  mecum  regarding  a  country  of 
vast  possibilities. 


PLAIN    FACTS    ABOUT 
MEXICO 


PLAIN   FACTS  ABOUT 
MEXICO 


NATURAL  AND  RACIAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

'"THE  Republic  of  Mexico  occupies  the  north- 
•*•  western  portion  of  the  isthmus  which  con- 
nects North  and  South  America  and  the  south- 
western extremity  of  North  America.  It  lies 
between  14°  30'  and  32°  40'  north  latitude  and 
between  86°  45'  and  117°  5'  west  longitude,  being 
thus  in  almost  equal  parts  within  and  without  the 
tropics.  Its  maximum  length  is  1,950  miles; 
extreme  width,  750  miles;  narrowest  point,  the 
Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  120  miles;  Atlantic  coast- 
line, 1,727  miles;  Pacific  coast-line,  4,574  miles. 
Mexico  is  about  three  times  as  large  as  Austria- 
Hungary,  and  nearly  four  times  as  large  as 
France,  or  equal  in  extent  to  Great  Britain  and 
Ireland,  France,  Germany,  and  Austria-Hungary 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

combined.  Exclusive  of  a  number  of  outlying 
small  islands,  its  area  is  about  765,535  square 
miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  and  the  Caribbean  Sea,  on  the  south  and 
southeast  by  Guatemala  and  British  Honduras, 
on  the  west  and  southwest  by  the  Pacific  Ocean, 
and  on  the  north  by  the  United  States. 

The  boundary  line  between  Mexico  and  the 
United  States  was  established  by  treaties  in  1848 
and  1853,  and  is  now  1,833  miles  in  length,  1,136 
of  which  are  covered  by  the  Rio  Grande  from  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  inland.  Under  the  Gadsden 
Treaty  of  1853,  the  line  is  formed  on  the  north- 
east by  the  Rio  Grande  from  its  mouth  up  to 
Ciudad  Juarez  on  the  Mexican  side,  opposite 
El  Paso,  Texas;  then  extends  parallel  with  lati- 
tude 32°  to  about  longitude  108°  40',  where  it 
drops  to  Espa,  whence  it  extends  in  a  parallel  line 
to  Nogales;  then  ascends  northwest  to  near  the 
confluence  of  the  Rio  Gila  with  the  Colorado; 
and  then  extends  due  west  to  the  Pacific,  termi- 
nating a  little  to  the  south  of  San  Diego,  California. 

Mexico  is  divided  by  nature  into  three  regions, 
each  of  which  is  marked  by  different  features. 
The  first  comprehends  the  parts  lying  to  the  east 
of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  which  is  crossed 
by  the  meridian  of  95°  west  longitude,  and  called 
the  Eastern  Region.  The  second  extends  from  the 
meridian  of  95°  north  latitude  in  a  curved  line  to 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

the  mouth  of  the  Rio  del  Norte  on  the  east  (26° 
north  latitude),  and  to  the  confluence  of  the  Rio 
Gila  with  the  Colorado  (3  2°  45'  north  latitude) 
on  the  west,  and  comprises  the  Central  and  North- 
ern Region,  or  Anahuac,  as  it  was  known  long 
before  the  Spanish  conquest.  The  third,  or  Lower 
California,  comprehends  the  peninsula  of  that 
name  on  the  west  of  the  Gulf  of  California. 

The  Eastern  Region. — This  comprehends  the 
peninsula  of  Yucatan,  the  western  declivity  of 
the  tableland  of  Guatemala,  the  plain  of  Tabasco, 
and  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec.  Along  the 
northern  and  western  shores  of  Yucatan  the 
surface  is  flat  and  sandy.  The  level  country  ex- 
tends to  a  considerable  distance  inland,  and  the 
center  of  the  peninsula  is  occupied  by  a  long  and 
comparatively  narrow  tableland  inclosed  by  two 
ranges  of  low  hills.  From  the  ridge  which  traverses 
this  tableland  the  surface  descends  rather  rapidly 
to  the  west  till  it  meets  the  plain  of  Tabasco, 
north  of  17°  north  latitude.  The  surface  here, 
being  furrowed  by  numerous  watercourses,  is 
a  succession  of  ridges  of  hills  and  valleys  rather 
than  an  inclined  plane.  The  climate  is  in  general 
healthful,  and,  according  to  the  different  elevations 
of  the  surface,  many  of  the  productions  of  the 
West  Indies  may  be  profitably  grown. 

The  plain  of  Tabasco  is  more  than  250  miles 
long,  and  extends  inland  from  50  to  120  miles. 

3 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

Its  surface  is  level  and  the  soil  alluvial.  Being 
very  fertile,  the  surface  exhibits  much  heavy  forest 
growth.  Agricultural  activities  are  seriously  crip- 
pled by  much  of  the  surface  being  under  water 
for  several  months  during  the  rainy  season.  Still 
large  quantities  of  maize,  plantain,  manioc,  cocoa, 
vanilla,  and  indigo  are  obtained,  besides  some 
coffee.  The  plain  is  watered  by  a  considerable 
river,  the  Rio  de  Tabasco,  and  its  two  branches, 
Usumasinta  and  the  Grijalva.  The  Rio  de  Ta- 
basco rises  in  the  eastern  corner  of  the  tableland 
of  Guatemala,  and,  flowing  in  a  direction  generally 
north  by  west,  forms  a  considerable  cataract  south 
of  17°  north  latitude,  where  it  descends  from  the 
tableland.  Above  the  waterfall  the  river  is  navi- 
gable for  canoes,  and  below  it  for  larger  craft. 
The  Usumasinta  joins  the  Rio  de  Tabasco  a  few 
miles  above  the  mouth,  after  a  course  of  more  than 
300  miles.  The  Grijalva  rises  in  the  range  of  hills 
in  Guatemala,  between  the  towns  of  Totonicapan 
and  Gueguetenago,  and  runs  with  many  bends  in 
a  northwest  direction,  in  a  wide  valley,  till  it 
issues  from  it  near  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec, 
where  it  turns  to  the  northeast  by  a  bold  sweep, 
and  receives  the  name  of  Rio  de  Tabasco.  After 
having  joined  the  Usumasinta  it  falls  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  near  Frontera,  after  a  course  of 
about  350  miles. 

This  plain  occupies  the  northern  portion  and 
4 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

about  one-half  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec. 
The  southern  half  comprises  a  mountain  ridge 
and  a  smaller  plain.  The  southern  plain,  known 
as  the  plain  of  Tehuantepec,  is  about  twenty-five 
miles  wide,  and  extends  along  the  Pacific  from  the 
boundary  of  Guatemala  to  some  distance  west  of 
the  town  of  Tehuantepec.  It  has  a  very  hot  and 
rather  dry  climate,  and  the  soil,  though  not  dis- 
tinguished by  fertility,  is  capable  of  producing 
several  tropical  plants.  The  plain  is  traversed 
by  the  Chimalapa  River,  which  descends  from  the 
Cerro  Pelado,  and  is  navigable  to  San  Miguel  de 
Chimalapa,  a  distance  of  about  thirty  miles.  On 
the  same  Cerro,  but  within  the  northern  ridges, 
rises  the  Rio  Huasacualco,  which,  breaking  through 
some  of  the  ridges,  is  joined  by  numerous  small 
rivers,  which  descend  from  the  western  declivity 
of  the  tableland  of  Mixtecapan,  and  soon  becomes 
a  powerful  river,  though  it  is  not  navigable  on 
account  of  rapids  or  cataracts.  After  it  enters 
the  plain  of  Tabasco  there  is  no  further  obstruc- 
tion to  navigation,  excepting  that  its  mouth,  in 
the  southwestern  recess  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  is 
closed  by  a  bar  and  shoals. 

The  Central  and  Northern  Region. — This  sec- 
tion in  its  natural  features  exhibits  great  variety. 
The  eastern  coast  is  low  and  sandy  from  the  Punta 
de  Rocca  Partida  (18°  40'  north  latitude)  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Rio  del  Norte  (about  25°  45'  north 

5 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

latitude) .  It  extends  in  a  continuous  line,  without 
being  broken  by  inlets  or  bays,  and  its  only  har- 
bors are  those  formed  by  the  mouths  of  the  rivers, 
and  even  these  are  only  unsafe  roadsteads,  as  the 
rivers  of  this  coast,  between  18°  40'  and  22°  north 
latitude,  with  the  exception  of  the  Rio  Alvarado, 
have  little  water  except  in  the  rainy  season. 
North  of  22°  north  latitude  several  rivers  of  con- 
siderable size  fall  into  the  sea,  but  except  at  their 
mouths  the  coast  cannot  be  approached  by  vessels, 
as  it  is  lined  by  long,  low,  and  narrow  sand-banks, 
which  lie  parallel  to  and  from  two  to  six  miles 
from  it. 

The  surface  adjacent  to  the  shores,  and  from 
three  to  ten  miles  inland,  is  very  low,  but  is  de- 
fended from  the  sea  by  sand-hills  rising  from  50 
to  200  feet  high.  There  the  soil  is  sandy  and  al- 
most destitute  of  vegetation.  Back  of  this  tract 
the  surface  rises  gradually  to  the  foot  of  an  ex- 
tremely steep  ascent,  which  constitutes  the  eastern 
edge  of  an  extensive  tableland  farther  west.  The 
land  between  the  shores  and  this  ascent  is  about 
sixty  miles  wide  south  of  22°  north  latitude; 
farther  north  it  widens  to  about  150  miles;  and 
as  it  approaches  the  northern  boundary  it  rises  rap- 
idly toward  the  interior,  attaining  an  elevation  of 
from  2,500  to  3,000  feet  at  a  distance  of  only  fifty 
miles  from  the  sea. 

This  tract  is  comprehended  in  the  "hot  coun- 
6 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

tries"  (tierras  calientes).  Here  the  seasons  are 
divided  into  the  winter,  or  season  of  north  winds, 
lasting  from  October  to  April,  and  the  summer,  or 
season  of  the  breezes.  The  mean  heat  of  the 
winter  season  is  71°  P.,  but  during  the  north 
winds  (los  nortes)  the  thermometer  sometimes  de- 
scends to  60°;  the  mean  temperature  of  the  sum- 
mer season  is  about  81°,  and  in  July  and  August 
it  is  about  82°;  and  the  mean  annual  heat  of  the 
tract  is  77°.  This  section  is  well  adapted  to  the 
cultivation  of  all  tropical  products,  and,  as  its 
soil,  with  the  exception  of  the  sandy  shores,  is 
possessed  of  considerable  fertility,  it  yields  rich 
crops  of  maize,  bananas,  pineapples,  oranges, 
manioc,  coffee,  sugar,  cocoa,  and,  under  irriga- 
tion, rice. 

The  Remarkable  Elevation. — The  steep  ascent 
which  bounds  this  tract  on  the  west  rises  in  some 
places  in  terraces  which  lie  between  the  declivities, 
and  in  such  places  the  ascent  occupies  a  consider- 
able space;  but  in  other  parts  it  rises  from  5,000 
to  6,000  feet  in  a  distance  generally  not  exceeding 
ten  miles  in  width,  and  frequently  much  less.  The 
acclivity  is  so  steep  that  on  the  whole  line,  nearly 
600  miles,  there  are  only  two  places  where  it  is 
practicable  for  carriages,  viz.,  at  Jalapa,  near 
Vera  Cruz  (19°  north  latitude),  and  at  Saltillo, 
west  of  Monterey  (26°  north  latitude).  This 
ascent  constitutes  the  outer  edge  of  the  elevated 
2  7 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

plains  of  this  region.  The  edge  itself  is  lined  by  a 
continuous  series  of  hills  rising  in  general  only  to 
a  moderate  elevation  above  the  tablelands,  but 
some  of  them  attain  a  great  height,  as  the  Coffre 
de  Perote,  near  the  road  leading  from  Vera  Cruz 
to  Mexico  City,  which  is  13,415  feet  above  sea- 
level,  and  the  peak  of  Orizaba,  which  attains  a 
height  of  17,373  feet- 

These  plains  are  divided  into  two  parts  by  a 
range  of  mountains  which  traverses  them  in  a  gen- 
eral eastern  and  western  direction,  called  the 
Sierra  Madre.  This  chain  begins  near  the  eastern 
edge,  about  21°  north  latitude,  west  of  Tlacolula; 
continues  in  a  west-by-north  direction  to  San 
Felipe,  21°  40'  north  latitude,  where  an  offshoot 
branches  southward;  declines  to  the  north-north- 
west west  of  San  Felipe;  then  has  its  continuity 
broken  into  isolated  ridges,  as  the  Sierra  de  Alta- 
mira,  about  twenty  miles  east  of  Aguascalientes, 
and  the  group  of  mountains  which  contain  the 
mines  of  Zacatecas;  and  reappears  as  a  mountain 
range  a  short  distance  west  of  Zacatecas,  and 
occupies  a  width  of  100  miles  from  east  to  west. 
The  mountains  of  La  Encarnacion  rise  more  than 
10,000  feet  above  the  sea  and  those  inclosing  the 
plain  of  San  Felipe  are  probably  as  high. 

Great  Elevated  Plains. — The  elevated  plains 
which  spread  out  west  of  the  steep  ascent  occupy  the 
greatest  part  of  the  surface  of  Mexico.  They  are 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

widest  between  19°  and  20°  north  latitude,  where 
they  occupy  360  miles  from  east  to  west.  This  ex- 
tensive tract  of  country  is  divided  into  four  plains 
unequal  in  extent,  and  separated  from  one  another 
by  ranges  of  hills  which  rise  from  500  to  2,000  feet 
above  their  base.  The  most  eastern  plain  has  the 
city  of  Tlaxcala  nearly  in  its  center.  The  surface, 
which  is  pretty  level,  is  from  7,000  to  7,500  feet 
above  sea-level.  Two  lofty  but  isolated  peaks,  the 
Cerro  de  Pizarro  and  Mount  Malinche  (14,636 
feet)  are  near  the  road  which  leads  from  the  sea  to 
Mexico  City.  A  sterile  tract,  known  as  El  Mai 
Pais,  occupies  about  one- third  of  this  plain.  The 
chain  of  hills  which  divides  the  plain  of  Tlaxcala 
from  that  of  Tenochtitlan  contains  the  peak  of 
Istaccihuatl  (15,704  feet  above  sea-level)  and  the 
celebrated  volcano  of  Popocatepetl  (17,884  feet), 
the  latter  the  highest  mountain  in  Mexico.  The 
plain  of  Tenochtitlan,  west  of  Tlaxcala,  is  about 
7,480  feet  above  sea-level;  farther  west  is  the  plain 
of  Toluca,  which  is  somewhat  smaller  in  extent; 
in  the  southern  chain  is  the  Nevado  de  Toluca, 
15,160  feet  above  sea-level;  and  at  the  extreme 
west  of  the  plains  is  that  of  Michoacan,  which  ap- 
proaches the  Pacific  within  about  thirty  miles. 
Nearly  in  the  center  of  the  last  plain  is  the  Lake 
of  Patzcuaro,  famous  in  the  history  of  the  ancient 
kingdom  of  Michoacan,  whose  capital,  Tzintzon- 
tzan,  was  built  on  its  banks.  Toward  the  western 

9 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

extremity  of  the  plain  of  Michoacan  is  the  lofty 
peak  of  Tancitaro. 

On  the  north  the  tablelands  just  mentioned  bor- 
der on  others  of  a  similar  character.  On  the 
south  the  surface  descends  rapidly  and  very  irregu- 
larly, except  where  it  borders  on  the  plain  of 
Tlaxcala.  This  plain  is  joined  on  the  south  by 
that  of  Mixtecapan,  which  stretches  to  the  Pacific 
and  terminates  with  high  mountains.  North  of 
20°  north  latitude  is  the  tableland  of  Queretaro, 
which  extends  to  the  ridge  of  the  Sierra  Madre. 
That  portion  which  lies  east  of  100°  west  longitude 
is  in  general  about  6,500  feet  above  sea-level,  and 
its  surface  is  broken  by  single  groups  or  short 
ranges  of  hills  which  rise  from  1,000  to  1,500  feet 
above  the  plain.  This  region  contains  numerous 
productive  mines,  and  its  central  section  com- 
prises one  of  the  richest  agricultural  districts  in 
Mexico.  This  portion  is  100  miles  long  and  30 
miles  wide,  has  numerous  irrigation  canals,  and  is 
especially  productive  in  maize  and  wheat.  Sterile 
tracts  occur  here  and  there,  either  covered  with 
stones  and  then  called  pedregal,  or  with  lava  and 
called  mal  pais.  A  considerable  part  of  this  tract 
cannot  be  irrigated  to  advantage,  though  rather 
fertile,  and  is  used  mainly  for  pasture.  On  this 
tableland  are  many  barrancas,  or  depressions  in 
the  surface  having  a  steep  declivity  and  descend- 
ing frequently  1,000  feet  below  the  general  sur- 

10 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

face.  These  depressions  are  sometimes  three  or 
four  miles  wide  and  still  longer;  their  climate  is 
considerably  milder  than  that  of  their  environ- 
ments; and  they  are  the  sites  of  several  small 
towns. 

Climate  of  the  Tablelands. — The  climate  of  the 
main  tablelands  varies  in  proportion  to  their  ele- 
vation above  sea-level.  In  those  of  Tenochtitlan 
and  Tlaxcala,  which  are  nearly  equal  in  this  re- 
spect, the  mean  summer  temperature  is  62°.  In 
winter  the  thermometer  generally  ranges  between 
45°  and  47°,  and  sometimes,  though  rarely,  de- 
scends below  32°.  In  summer  it  never  exceeds 
75°  in  the  shade.  On  the  tableland  of  Toluca, 
which  is  the  most  elevated,  the  air  is  so  cold  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  day  that  the  thermometer 
generally  varies  between  42°  and  46°.  On  the 
tablelands  of  Valladolid,  Mixtecapan,  and  Micho- 
acan,  which  are  considerably  lower  than  that  of 
Tenochtitlan,  the  mean  annual  temperature 
varies  between  66°  and  68°.  All  of  these  sections, 
being  more  than  5,000  feet  above  sea-level,  are 
locally  called  "cold  countries"  (tierras  frias). 
The  seasons  here  are  only  two,  that  of  the  rains 
(estacidn  de  las  aquas]  and  the  dry  season,  or  sum- 
mer (el  estio).  All  of  these  tablelands  have  rather 
an  arid  soil,  which  can  only  be  utilized  in  the  cul- 
tivation of  grain  where  it  can  be  watered,  and 
even  this  advantage  is  not  to  be  depended  on  for 

ii 


PLAIN    FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

steady  relief,  as  many  of  the  rivers  disappear  in 
fissures  of  the  rocks.  The  sections  that  are  ele- 
vated from  2,500  to  4,000  feet  above  sea-level, 
such  as  the  broken  region  lying  between  the  table- 
lands of  Tenochtitlan  and  Toluca  and  Michoacan 
on  one  side,  and  between  the  tableland  of  Mixte- 
capan  on  the  other,  and  the  uneven  plain  of  Jalisco, 
are  called  tierras  templadas.  Their  mean  annual 
temperature  is  between  75°  and  78°,  and  they  have 
nearly  a  continual  spring,  as  the  difference  of  the 
temperature  in  the  colder  and  hotter  season  does 
not  exceed  8°,  or  at  the  utmost  10°.  These  tracts 
produce  the  principal  tropical  fruits  and  the  sugar- 
cane in  abundance,  and  have  a  healthful  climate 
all  the  year  round. 

The  Sierra  Madre  Region. — The  country  which 
is  bordered  by  this  range  on  the  south  and  west  is 
a  plain  nearly  700  miles  long,  and  from  100  to  300 
miles  wide,  terminating  on  the  northeast  on  the 
banks  of  the  Rio  del  Norte,  and  at  the  Sierra  de 
las  Espuelas,  the  most  northern  offset  of  the  Sierra 
Madre.  The  soil  about  San  Luis  Potosi  and  in 
the  Valle  del  Maiz,  which  lies  on  the  banks  of  the 
Rio  Tamoin,  a  tributary  of  the  Rio  Panuca,  is 
quite  fertile,  and  a  great  portion  of  this  region  is 
utilized  for  pasture.  The  northern  section  is  less 
favored  by  nature,  especially  as  it  suffers  greatly 
from  the  scarcity  of  rain,  which  in  the  southern 
portions  is  far  from  being  abundant,  and  north 

12 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

of  27°  north  latitude  is  very  rare.  The  soil  here 
holds  a  great  portion  of  carbonate  of  soda,  and  the 
section  contains  numerous  dry  salt  lakes,  from 
which  large  quantities  of  the  carbonate  have  been 
obtained  for  use  in  the  manufacture  of  soap.  All 
the  rivers  which  water  this  region  rise  along  the 
eastern  declivity  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  and,  running 
northward,  are  lost  in  some  basins  having  no  com- 
munication with  the  sea,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Rio  Conchos,  which  rises  with  several  branches 
between  26°  and  28°  north  latitude,  and  falls  into 
the  Rio  del  Norte,  near  31°.  The  cultivable  land 
in  this  section  is  limited  to  the  river-bottoms, 
which  extend  from  two  to  four  miles  along  the 
banks  and  produce  maize  and  other  grain.  Cotton 
is  grown  in  the  valley  of  the  Rio  Nasas,  and  there 
are  extensive  vineyards  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Lake 
of  Parras.  The  country  between  the  Sierra  Madre 
and  the  Pacific  is  divided  naturally  into  two  dis- 
tinct regions,  which  may  be  designated  as  the 
plains  of  Cinaloa  and  the  hilly  region  of  Sonora. 
The  former  extends  between  24°  and  28°  north 
latitude,  and  the  latter  between  28°  and  32°. 
The  plains  are  perfectly  level ;  only  hills  of  moder- 
ate size  divide  them  from  the  Sierra  Madre;  and 
their  soil  is  a  sandy  clay,  almost  without  a  pebble. 
The  rains  usually  set  in  about  June  24th,  and  last 
approximately  two  months,  and  the  greatest  heat 
is  experienced  before  the  rains,  from  the  month 

13 


PLAIN    FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

of  March,  when  the  country  is  exceedingly  parched. 
Sonora,  which  begins  at  some  distance  north  of 
the  Rio  Mayo,  has  a  tract  of  low  and  level  land 
along  the  sea,  but  it  soon  rises  to  some  elevation, 
and  then  extends  nearly  on  a  level  many  miles 
inland.  Between  the  high  hills  that  parallel  the 
Sierra  Madre  are  fertile  valleys,  watered  by  nu- 
merous rivers.  As  this  part  of  Mexico  is  within  the 
temperate  zone,  it  partakes  of  the  great  changes 
in  temperature  which  commonly  occur  in  such 
countries,  the  thermometer  ranging  during  the 
year  between  30°  and  95°.  The  winds  from  the 
Rocky  Mountains  are  frequently  freezing  in  char- 
acter. The  summer  is  exceedingly  hot,  and  the 
high  temperature  continues  for  several  months. 

The  Lower  California  Region. — The  third  natu- 
ral division  of  Mexico  is  a  peninsula  separated  from 
the  mainland  by  the  Gulf  of  California,  and  ex- 
tends from  Cape  San  Lucas,  22°  45'  north  latitude 
to  the  northern  extremity  of  the  gulf v  32°,  where 
it  is  bounded  by  the  State  of  California.  It  is 
approximately  770  miles  long  and  from  30  to  120 
miles  wide,  and  has  an  area  of  58,400  square  miles. 
This  region  may  be  considered  as  a  continuous 
mass  of  high,  bare,  and  steep  rocks,  with  numerous 
ravines  intersecting  them.  With  few  exceptions  it 
hardly  contains  any  level  ground  that  can  be  called 
a  valley.  The  mountain  ranges  are,  structurally, 
a  continuation  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  of  California. 

14 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

Nearly  all  tracts  that  contain  cultivable  land  are 
on  the  eastern  declivity  of  the  mountains.  The 
western  side  generally  sinks  with  a  rapid  descent 
to  the  Pacific,  and  the  shores  are  steep  and  rocky. 
The  climate  is  exceedingly  dry  and  hot ;  the  vege- 
tation is  very  scanty;  some  fruits,  maize,  and 
manioc  are  cultivated;  and  some  minerals  of 
commercial  value  are  known  to  exist,  though  only 
a  few  have  been  systematically  worked.  With 
the  thermometer  rising  frequently  to  100°  F.  and 
occasionally  higher,  Lower  California  may  be  con- 
sidered one  of  the  hottest  regions  of  America. 

Racial  Features. — It  is  difficult  to  give  anything 
like  a  reliable  analysis  of  the  various  races  con- 
tributing to  form  the  Mexican  nation  as  it  is. 
They  may  be  divided  vaguely,  however,  into 
three  sections :  the  Spaniards,  descendants  chiefly 
of  the  conquerors  of  Mexico,  with  a  sprinkling 
of  other  Europeans;  the  native  Indians,  some 
forty  or  fifty  tribes  in  all;  and  the  mixed  popula- 
tion arising  from  a  blending  of  these  two.  It  is 
believed  that  the  mixed  population  (mestizos}  con- 
stitute about  one-half  of  the  entire  population,  and 
the  Indians  about  one-third.  The  Mexican  Ind- 
ians are  locally  declared  to  be  among  the  most 
pacific  and  gifted  of  their  kind,  attaining  great 
distinction  in  scholastic  and  industrial  pursuits, 
and  forming  by  no  means  the  least  valuable  sec- 
tion of  modern  Mexico's  progressive  citizens.  The 

15 


PLAIN    FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 


STATES 

AND 

TERRITORIES 

Area 
Square 
Miles 

Population, 
1910 

Capitals 

Aguascalientes  
Campeche  

2,969 
18,086 

118,978 

8<;,7Q< 

Aguascalientes 
Campeche 

Chiapas  

27,222 

4^6,8l7 

San  Cristobal 

Chihuahua  

80,074. 

40^,26=; 

Chihuahua 

Coahuila  

63,728 

^67,6^2 

Saltillo 

Colima  

2,27^ 

77.704 

Colima 

Durango  

42,26s 

4.36,14.7 

Durango 

Guanajuato  

JO.  04.8 

1.07^.270 

Guanajuato 

Guerrero  

24,QO6 

60^,437 

Chilpancingo 

Hidalgo  

8,S7S 

641,80=; 

Pachuca 

Jalisco        

77    486 

i  202  802 

Guadalajara 

Mexico  

8.Q4Q 

Q7<J.OIQ 

Toluca 

Michoacan  

22.  6^6 

001.640 

Morelia 

Morelos           .... 

2  734. 

170  8l4 

Cuernavaca 

Nuevo  Leon  

32.670 

•268  020 

Monterey 

Oaxaca  

3<;,383 

I.O4I.O3< 

Oaxaca 

Puebla           

12  2O4 

I  O02  4^6 

Puebla 

Queretaro  

4402 

24?.  CI  C 

Queretaro 

San  LuisPotosi.  .. 
Sinaloa  

24,OOO 

27,  ^s^ 

624,748 
323,400 

San  Luis  Potosi 
Culiacan 

Sonora           

76  610 

262.^4^ 

Hermosillo 

Tabasco      

10,072 

183,708 

S.  Juan  Bautista 

Tamaulipas  

32,268 

240,2^^ 

Ciudad  Victoria 

Tepic  (Ter  )    .... 

IO  Q<\I 

171  8^7 

Tepic 

Tlaxcala  

T.CQC 

183,80=; 

Tlaxcala 

Vera  Cruz    

20.28'? 

1,124,^68 

Talaoa 

Yucatan  

iS,^"? 

^^7,020 

Merida 

Zacatecas  

24,467 

47^,86^ 

Zacatecas 

L.  California(Ter.) 
Federal  District.  . 
Quintana  Roo  

58,328 

579 
16,638 

52,244 
719,052 
9,086 

La  Paz 
City  of  Mexico 
Santa    Cruz    de 

Total  

765,535 

15,063,207 

16 


NATURAL  FEATURES  AND  POPULATION 

peons  are  laborers,  originally  agricultural,  who 
belong  to  probably  the  lowest  order  of  intelligence 
and  activity,  and  are  practically  in  a  state  of 
servitude,  though  slavery  does  not  nominally  ex- 
ist in  Mexico.  Many  of  the  mestizos  are  farmers 
and  ranchers,  operating  on  a  more  or  less  extensive 
scale.  The  term  leperos  is  applied  to  habitually 
idle  and  vicious  persons. 

The  foreign  population,  according  to  the  census 
of  1910,  comprised  29,541  natives  of  Spain; 
28,639  °f  the  United  States;  21,334  of  Guatemala; 
13,203  of  China;  5,264  of  Great  Britain;  4,604 
of  France;  3,827  of  Germany;  3,478  of  Cuba; 
2,907  of  Turkey;  2,595  of  Italy;  2,276  of  Japan; 
1,546  of  Africa  (Arabs);  and  5,433  of  all  other 
countries — in  all,  116,527. 

Area  and  Population. — The  table  on  page  16 
shows  the  area  and  population  of  the  States  and 
Territories  of  the  federation,  as  ascertained  by  the 
census  of  1910,  together  with  the  capital  cities. 

The  population  in  1900,  as  reported  by  the  cen- 
sus, was  13,607,259;  hence  there  was  an  increase 
of  1,455,948  in  the  decade  following.  Of  the  total 
in  1910,  7,504,471  were  males,  7,655,898  females, 
and  116,527  of  foreign  birth.  An  official  estimate 
in  1912  gave  a  total  population  of  15,501,684. 

Population  of  Principal  Cities  and  Towns. — The 
following  shows  the  population  of  the  principal 
cities  and  towns  as  reported  by  the  census  of  1910: 

17 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT  MEXICO 


Aguascalientes 4  5, 198 

Celaya 23,062 

Chihuahua 39,7o6 

Durango 32,263 

Guadalajara 119,468 

Guanajuato 35,682 

Irapuato 21,281 

Jalapa 24,816 

Leon 57,722 

Merida 62,447 

Mexico  City 471,066 

Monterey 73,528 


Morelia 40,042 

Oaxaca 38,01 1 

Orizaba 35,263 

Pachuca 39,009 

Puebla 96,121 

Quer^taro 33,062 

Saltillo 35,414 

San  Luis  Potosi 68,022 

Tacubaya 35,830 

Toluca 31,023 

Vera  Cruz 48,633 

Zacatecas 25,900 


II 

AGRICULTURAL  AND  MINING  INDUSTRIES 

A/TEXICO,  through  the  ages,  has  become  so 
•*• '  •*•  well  known  for  its  mineral  wealth,  notably 
as  a  silver-producer,  that  foreign  students  of  its 
affairs  have  paid  less  attention  to  its  agricultural 
resources  than  its  possibilities  in  this  respect  fairly 
warrant.  It  is  conceded  that  the  agriculture  of 
Mexico  has  not  yet  been  thoroughly  systematized, 
and  that  there  is  ample  room  in  this  line  of  en- 
deavor for  improvement  and  development.  There 
are  immense  areas  adapted  to  the  cultivation  of 
the  staple  cereals,  and  yet  from  the  earliest  times 
of  which  records  survive,  all  through  the  colonial 
epoch  and  down  to  the  present  day,  the  country's 
production  of  such  crops  has,  at  frequently  recur- 
ring intervals,  proved  insufficient  for  the  needs  of 
its  inhabitants.  With  Mexico's  great  variety  of 
climate  it  would  seem  that  the  country  offers  to 
each  intending  settler  a  valley  or  a  hillside  where 
he  may  be  surrounded  with  just  the  conditions  as 
to  climate  and  scenery  which  he  desires.  As  before 

19 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

indicated,  Mexico  is  situated  almost  entirely  within 
the  tropics,  and  hence  the  heat  natural  to  such 
latitudes  is  counteracted  in  a  large  part  of  the 
country  by  the  effects  of  altitude. 

Climatic  Zones. — It  has  been  customary  to  di- 
vide Mexico  climatologically  into  three  zones — the 
hot  country  (tierra  caliente)  at  an  elevation  not 
exceeding  3,000  feet  above  sea-level;  the  tem- 
perate zone  (tierra  templadd)  at  altitudes  ranging 
from  3,000  to  5,000  feet;  and  the  cold  country  at 
elevations  exceeding  that  of  5,000  feet,  up  to 
about  8,000.  The  hot  lands  are  the  lands  along 
the  coasts,  where  the  mean  annual  temperature 
is  about  82°-86°  F.,  and  where  there  are  dense 
tropical  jungles,  forests  of  mahogany  and  other 
cabinet  woods,  and  cultures  that  require  a  com- 
bination of  heat  and  humidity.  The  vegetation 
in  the  lower  altitudes  of  the  temperate  zone  is 
both  of  a  tropical  and  a  sub-tropical  character,  and 
to  this  zone  belong  most  of  the  typical  hot-country 
products  of  Mexico,  such  as  cotton,  rice,  sugar, 
coffee,  fruits,  and  tobacco.  In  the  higher  region 
of  this  zone  the  characteristic  crops  of  a  moderate 
climate  are  cultivated  with  success,  such  as  Indian 
corn,  wheat,  and  other  cereals.  As  may  be  in- 
ferred, from  previous  statements,  some  of  the 
Mexican  States  combine  both  climates  within 
their  borders,  so  that  a  spectator  can  look  down 
from  the  regions  of  the  pine  into  those  of  the  palm 

?o 


AGRICULTURE   AND    MINING 

and  sugar-cane.  The  cold  country,  so  called 
locally,  though  much  of  it  enjoys  a  mild  and 
equable  climate,  embraces  the  great  central  plain 
or  tableland  on  which  Mexico  City  is  situated, 
at  an  altitude  of  over  7,000  feet  above  sea-level. 
This  is  the  region  of  the  great  haciendas,  or  im- 
mense estates  of  the  Mexican  landed  aristocracy. 
A  leading  condition  that  has  militated  against 
permanent  prosperity  of  agriculture  in  this  region 
is  the  lack,  in  many  cases,  of  the  necessary  capital 
to  cultivate  estates  to  full  capacity  and  to  under- 
take irrigation  works  and  other  needed  improve- 
ments. In  the  cold  country  all  the  cereals  are 
preferably,  and  some  of  them  exclusively,  culti- 
vated, and  it  is  the  home  of  the  great  plantations 
of  maguey,  from  which  pulque,  the  favorite  drink 
of  the  masses,  is  prepared.  It  is  also  the  region 
of  periodical  droughts,  which,  when  they  occur, 
occasion  insufficient  harvests  and  necessitate  the 
importation  of  foreign  cereals. 

Grains. — Indian  corn  is  grown  in  the  States  of 
Jalisco,  Vera  Cruz,  Guanajuato,  Puebla,  and 
Oaxaca;  wheat  in  the  lowlands  of  Guanajuato,  the 
valley  of  St.  Martin  in  Puebla,  and  the  Toluca 
Valley  in  the  State  of  Mexico;  barley  in  small 
quantities  in  Hidalgo,  Tlaxcala,  Puebla,  and  the 
Federal  District;  rice  in  Colima,  Morelos,  Vera 
Cruz,  and  Tabasco;  garbanzo,  or  chick  peas,  and 
frijol,  or  Mexican  beans — both  staple  articles  of 

21 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

food — in  nearly  all  of  the  States,  but  more  especial- 
ly in  Vera  Cruz  and  Jalisco.  As  regards  wheat  and 
corn,  the  production  is  generally  insufficient  for 
the  home  consumption,  and  the  Executive  Govern- 
ment is  intrusted  with  discretionary  power  to  re- 
duce or  remove  the  import  duties  when  necessary. 
The  Government  has  already  instituted  a  system 
of  State-aided  irrigation  and  reclamation  service, 
the  most  notable  undertakings  of  which  are  the 
La  Sautafia  scheme  for  the  irrigation  of  2,000,000 
acres  in  northern  Tamaulipas,  and  the  Chapala 
scheme  for  the  reclamation  of  150,000  acres  of 
land  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  lake  of  that  name.i 
The  most  pretentious  of  all  projects  under  con- 
sideration is  that  known  as  the  Nazas  irrigation 
scheme,  which  comprises  the  building  of  a  huge 
storage  reservoir  in  the  San  Fernandez  Canon, 
about  forty  miles  to  the  northwest  of  Torreon, 
for  the  conservation  of  the  waters  of  the  Nazas 
River,  thereby  bringing  under  cultivation  many 
additional  tracts  of  the  fertile  Nazas  and  Laguna 
valley  lands.  The  estimated  cost  of  this  scheme  is 
about  $12,000,000. 

Sugar -Cane. — Considerable  progress  has  been 
shown  recently  in  the  sugar-cane  industry,  and 
there  is  a  growing  tendency  to  increase  the  acre- 
age under  cultivation  and  to  modernize  the  ma- 
chinery for  manufacturing  processes.  This  is 
especially  the  case  in  the  factories  in  the  States  of 

22 


AGRICULTURE    AND    MINING 

Morelos,  Michoacan,  and  Jalisco,  and  in  this  re- 
gard the  amount  of  foreign  capital  invested  is 
constantly  increasing. 

Rubber. — Wild  castilloa  is  found  throughout 
southern  Mexico  and  on  the  western  coast  lands 
as  far  north  as  Tepic.  The  principal  cultivated, 
areas  are  situated  in  the  Departments  of  Palenque 
and  Soconusco,  in  the  State  of  Chiapas;  the  north- 
ern part  of  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec;  the  river 
area  of  the  Papaloapam  and  its  tributaries;  and  the 
coast  territory  of  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz.  At  Tor- 
reon,  Gomez  Palacio,  and  San  Luis  Potosi  factories 
have  been  established  for  the  extraction  of  rubber 
from  the  guayule  shrub  (Parthenium  argentatum), 
which  grows  wild  in  the  mountain  parts  of  the 
States  of  Coahuila,  San  Luis  Potosi,  Durango,  and 
Chihuahua.  In  view  of  a  threatened  exhaustion 
of  present  supplies,  considerable  experimenting 
is  in  progress  for  the  artificial  cultivation  of  the 
shrub. 

Cotton. — The  principal  cotton  -  growing  region 
of  Mexico  is  situated  in  the  Laguna  district  of 
Coahuila  and  Durango,  covering  an  area  of  ap- 
proximately 200,000  acres,  and  producing  prob- 
ably 90  per  cent,  of  all  the  cotton  grown  in  the 
country.  The  crop  depends  almost  entirely  on 
the  amount  of  water  in  the  Nazas  and  Laguna 
basins  available  for  irrigation,  as  the  average 
annual  rainfall  is  both  insufficient  and  ill-timed 
3  23 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

for  its  needs.  It  is  estimated  that  the  production 
of  this  staple  in  Mexico  yields  about  one-half 
the  amount  required  for  use  in  domestic  industries. 

Fruits. — In  the  cultivation  of  orchard  fruits,  it 
is  a  prevalent  belief  that  there  has  been  a  retro- 
gression both  in  the  quantity  and  the  flavor  of  the 
output.  There  are  sections  in  the  Valley  of  Mexico 
where  the  large  huertas  were  once  in  flourishing 
operation,  supplying  the  markets  of  Mexico  City 
with  pears,  apples,  peaches,  and  apricots  of  a 
quality  superior  to  that  which  they  show  at 
present.  Both  the  climate  and  the  soil  of  Mexico 
in  the  temperate  regions  afford  every  advantage 
for  the  cultivation  of  such  fruits,  yet  large  quanti- 
ties of  pears  and  apples  are  annually  imported 
from  California.  Strawberries  of  the  finest  flavor 
are  grown  all  the  year  round  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Irapuato,  State  of  Guanajuato,  and  at  points 
in  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  Indian  fruit-growers  of 
San  Angel  have  within  the  last  few  years  under- 
taken the  culture  of  the  raspberry,  a  fruit  formerly 
unknown  in  Mexico. 

The  oranges  of  Yautepec  in  the  State  of  Morelos, 
of  La  Barca  and  other  districts  in  the  State  of 
Jalisco,  of  Hermosillo  in  Sonora,  of  Montemorelos 
in  the  State  of  Nuevo  Leon,  and  of  Zimapan  in  the 
State  of  Hidalgo,  are  famous  not  only  in  Mexico, 
but  also  in  the  United  States.  For  the  production 
of  the  typical  fruits  of  the  tropics,  such  as  the 

24 


AGRICULTURE   AND    MINING 

pineapple,  the  guava,  the  banana,  the  mameh,  the 
luscious  custard-apple,  the  mango,  the  different 
and  delicious  varieties  of  zapote,  the  alligator  pear, 
etc.,  Mexico  affords  facilities  equal  to  those  of 
the  West  Indian  islands.  At  present  the  produc- 
tion of  marketable  qualities  of  practically  all  kinds 
of  fruit  is  inconsiderable  and  wholly  unsystema- 
tized,  and  experts  assert  that  there  are  promising 
openings  in  the  general  line  of  fruit  culture  for 
growers  possessing  capital,  technical  knowledge, 
sound  business  judgment,  and  perseverance. 

Coffee. — Formerly  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz  pro- 
duced nearly  all  the  coffee  grown  commercially  in 
Mexico,  more  especially  in  the  districts  of  Cordoba, 
Orizaba,  Huatusco,  Coatepec,  and  Jalapa.  From 
this  center  the  cultivation  gradually  spread  to  the 
adjacent  States  of  Oaxaca  and  Puebla,  where  it 
is  featured  by  the  Indians.  The  most  productive 
district  to-day  is  that  of  Soconusco,  in  the  State 
of  Chiapas,  where  the  principal  plantations  are 
operated  by  German  capital.  Coffee  is  also  culti- 
vated in  Morelos,  Jalisco,  Tepic,  and  Michoacan, 
but  not  on  an  extensive  scale. 

Live-Stock. — In  live-stock  interests,  the  horse  is 
not  bred  in  large  numbers,  the  mule  being  more 
generally  employed,  as  being  hardier  and  better 
adapted  as  a  draft  and  pack  animal.  The  varying 
climatic  conditions  of  the  country  have  produced 
breeds  of  cattle  that  have  considerably  departed 

25 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

from  the  original  Spanish  type.  Those  of  the 
northern  plateau  are  small,  hardy,  and  long- 
lived;  in  the  south  they  are  larger  and  better 
nourished,  owing  to  the  permanent  character  of 
the  pasture,  but  less  vigorous  because  of  the  heat 
and  insect  plagues.  The  largest  herds  are  to  be 
found  in  Chihuahua  and  Durango.  Sheep-breeding 
is  largely  confined  to  the  cooler  sierra  districts,  and 
some  attention  is  now  being  given  also  to  the 
breeding  of  goats,  because  of  the  local  demand 
for  their  skins.  The  big  cattle-ranches  of  the 
northern  States  are  to  a  large  extent  in  the  hands 
of  wealthy  owners,  and  can  only  be  secured  in 
part  or  in  whole  by  a  considerable  investment  of 
capital. 

Mining  Industries. — Mining  is  the  most  highly 
developed  and  best  organized  of  Mexico's  indus- 
tries, the  importance  of  which  is  made  manifest 
by  the  fact  that  between  5  and  6  per  cent,  of  the 
world's  annual  production  of  gold,  30  per  cent, 
of  silver,  6-7  per  cent,  of  copper,  and  12  per 
cent,  of  lead  is  obtained  within  its  borders.  A 
recent  estimate  gives  the  amount  of  capital  in- 
vested in  the  industry  as  $647,200,000,  of  which 
$499,000,000  is  American,  $87,200,000  is  English, 
$10,000,000  is  French,  and  $29,400,000  is  Mexican. 

Gold  is  largely  produced  as  a  by-product  from 
the  silver-mining  districts  throughout  the  country, 
the  famous  El  Ora  camp  lying  in  the  States  of 

26 


AGRICULTURE    AND    MINING 

Mexico  and  Michoacan.  The  best-known  silver 
camps  are  those  in  the  Pachuca  district  of  the 
State  of  Hidalgo,  the  Guanajuato  district,  the 
Santa  Eulalia  camp  in  eastern  Chihuahua,  the 
Andres  del  Rio  and  Parral  districts  in  the  western 
part  of  the  state,  the  Catorce  region  of  San  Luis 
Potosi,  and  the  Zacatecas  and  Fresnillo  camps. 
The  leading  copper  camps  are  the  Green  Cananea 
and  the  Moctezuma  in  the  State  of  Sonora,  and 
the  Boleo  in  Lower  California,  and  the  principal 
lead-producing  camps  are  in  the  State  of  Chi- 
huahua. The  only  exploited  antimony  deposits 
are  at  Charcas  and  Catorce,  in  the  State  of  San 
Luis  Potosi,  and  the  bulk  of  the  zinc  output  is 
from  the  Santa  Eulalia,  San  Isidro,  Almoloya, 
Parral,  and  Santa  Barbara  districts  in  the  States 
of  Chihuahua  and  San  Luis  Potosi. 

The  only  State  at  present  producing  commer- 
cial coal  "and  coke  is  Coahuila,  but  development 
work  is  in  progress  at  coal-fields  in  Sonora,  Oaxaca, 
and  Jalisco.  There  are  numerous  iron  deposits 
of  commercial  value,  but  most  of  them  are  unde- 
veloped because  of  their  inaccessibility.  Those 
in  the  northern  part  of  the  country  are  the  best 
favored  for  approach,  and  supply  the  requirements 
of  the  iron  and  steel  works  in  the  States  of  Nuevo 
Leon  and  Hidalgo.  Sulphur  is  obtained  exclu- 
sively from  the 'mines  near  Cerritos,  in  the  State 
of  San  Luis  Potosi,  and  graphite  from  the  Santa 

27 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

Maria  mines,  about  twenty  miles  south  of  La 
Colorado,  in  the  State  of  Sonora. 

Owing  to  disturbed  local  conditions,  following 
the  resignation  of  President  Diaz  on  May  25,  1911, 
work  was  restricted  or  wholly  suspended  by  many 
of  the  mining  and  smelting  companies  of  northern 
Mexico.  In  the  central  and  southern  sections, 
especially  in  the  three  great  camps  of  Pachuca, 
El  Oro,  and  Guanajuato,  conditions  were  such  as 
to  favor  a  practically  normal  output,  and  the  same 
may  be  said  of  the  smaller  camps  and  mines  in 
the  States  of  Mexico,  Michoacan,  Guerrero, 
Oaxaca,  Guanajuato,  Hidalgo,  and  Jalisco.  Re- 
turns of  the  operating  companies  indicated  that 
the  most  prosperous  of  recent  years  was  the  fiscal 
one  of  1911-12,  when  the  gold  production  was 
valued  at  $49,905,115,  and  silver  at  $88,839,747. 
The  output  of  copper  was  59,421  metric  tons  in 
ingots;  of  copper  ore,  121,441  metric  tons;  of  lead, 
116,758  metric  tons;  and  of  zinc,  42,257  metric 
tons. 

Manufacturing  Industries. — Although  some  of 
the  industrial  establishments  of  Mexico  can  chal- 
lenge comparison  with  those  of  the  most  advanced 
manufacturing  countries,  the  industrial  develop- 
ment of  the  country  is,  as  yet,  only  in  its  begin- 
ning, and,  generally  speaking,  Mexico  is  largely 
dependent  on  importations.  There  is  a  weighty 
demand  for  a  scientific  exploitation  of  the  forest 

28 


AGRICULTURE    AND    MINING 

resources  of  the  country.  The  forests  of  the  hot- 
country  States  along  the  coast  contain  mahogany 
and  a  great  variety  of  other  cabinet  and  dye  woods, 
while  the  extensive  tracts  of  the  temperate  region 
contain  a  good  quality  of  pine  and  other  timber, 
suitable  for  carpentering  and  construction  pur- 
poses. Although  timber  and  many  varieties  of 
fibrous  plants  and  other  material  suitable  for  pulp 
and  paper  manufacture  are  found  in  various  sec- 
tions, paper  and  paper  stock  have  to  be  imported 
in  large  quantities  to  meet  the  growing  demand 
of  the  printing  and  allied  trades. 

It  is  estimated  that  about  25,000  tons  of  raw 
hides  are  tanned  annually,  the  chief  center  of  this 
industry  being  Mexico  City  and  Leon.  Modernly 
equipped  shoe-factories  are  in  operation  in  Mexico 
City,  Puebla,  Guadalajara,  Mazatlan,  Pantil, 
Saltillo,  and  Monterey.  Of  approximately  150 
cotton-mills,  the  larger  and  more  modern  are  in 
Mexico  City,  Puebla,  and  Orizaba.  The  com- 
bined output  of  all  these  mills  has  reached  a  value 
of  $50,000,000  in  a  single  year.  The  manufacture 
of  woolen  goods  is  carried  on  in  the  States  of 
Mexico,  Aguascalientes,  Durango,  Guanajuato, 
Hidalgo,  and  Puebla;  the  largest  plant  is  at 
Tlalnepantla,  in  the  State  of  Mexico.  The  only 
silk-factory  is  in  the  Santa  Maria  district  of  Mexico 
City,  its  specialty  being  the  silk  rebozo,  or  light 
shawl  so  much  worn  by  the  women  of  Mexico. 

29 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

Iron-foundries  are  numerous,  and  the  quality 
and  abundance  of  the  mineral  make  it  possible  for 
them  to  turn  out  good  work ;  but  in  most  of  them 
the  product  comprises  little  more  than  the  smaller 
agricultural  implements  and  ordinary  marketable 
iron.  The  most  important  iron  and  steel  producer 
is  at  Monterey ;  others  are  in  the  States  of  Hidalgo 
and  Jalisco  and  the  Federal  District.  Almost 
every  State  possesses  both  cigar  and  cigarette 
factories,  which  consume  the  raw  material  pro- 
duced throughout  the  country.  Certain  brands 
of  Mexican  cigars  are  known  and  esteemed  in 
Europe,  the  best  qualities  being  produced  in  the 
State  of  Vera  Cruz.  A  single  factory  in  Mexico 
City  has  turned  out  from  17,000,000  to  20,000,000 
cigarettes  daily. 


Ill 

MEXICO'S   GREATEST   NATURAL   ASSET 

H^HROUGHOUT  the  Gulf  coastal  plain,  from 
•*•  southern  Tamaulipas  to  Campeche,  there  are 
indications  of  oil  deposits,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent 
derived  from  rocks  of  various  ages  in  the  shape 
of  surface  exudations  of  petroleum  or  liquid  as- 
phalt. These  vary  in  size  from  small  seepages 
a  few  inches  in  diameter  to  asphalt  lakes  a  hundred 
or  more  feet  in  diameter,  such  as  those  occurring 
at  Solis,  Chijol,  Cerro  Viejo,  or  Cerro  Azul. 
The  asphalt  varies  in  consistency  from  a  heavy 
oil  to  various  hard  veins,  and  in  certain  parts  of 
the  same  region  there  are  seepages  of  a  paraffin- 
base  light  oil. 

The  area  over  which  seepages  most  frequently 
occur  is  that  part  of  the  coastal  plain  between  the 
Rio  Soto  la  Marina  and  the  vicinity  of  Jalapa. 
This  area  is  roughly  triangular  in  shape,  being 
bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  on 
the  southwest  and  northeast  by  the  front  of  the 
great  central  plateau.  It  comprises,  roughly,  an 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

area  of  about  17,000  square  miles.  Tampico  is 
the  most  central  point  of  any  importance  in  this 
district,  and  on  account  of  its  harbor,  railways, 
and  position  with  regard  to  inland  waterways,  is 
the  distributing-point  for  the  oil  region. 

Geologically,  the  oil  of  the  Tampico  region  oc- 
curs in  the  Oligocene,  Eocene,  and  Cretaceous 
formations,  the  oil-bearing  rock  being  for  the  most 
part  a  porous  limestone ;  and  the  oil-bearing  rocks 
of  the  isthmus  region  are  of  Pliocene  and  Pleisto- 
cene age,  the  formation  in  which  the  oil  occurs 
being  usually  a  true  quartz  sand. 

The  majority  of  oil-wells  have  been  put  down 
on  land  leased  from  the  Mexican  farmers.  The 
leases  are  taken  ordinarily  for  thirty  years,  a 
yearly  rental,  commonly  paid  two  or  three  years 
in  advance,  and  ordinarily  from  five  to  ten  per 
cent,  of  the  oil,  being  the  consideration.  Ten-per- 
cent, royalties  prevail  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
field,  and  five-per-cent.  in  the  southern,  except 
near  the  best  asphalt  seeps.  The  money  con- 
sideration varies  widely,  according  to  the  situation 
of  the  land,  and  is  constantly  rising  as  exploitation 
proceeds. 

Since  1901  exploratory  work  has  been  systemati- 
cally carried  on  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State 
of  Vera  Cruz,  and  a  single  company  is  developing 
and  refining  the  products  of  the  four  fields  of  San 
Cristobal,  Soledad,  Ixhuatlan,  and  Tecuanapa,  all 

32 


The  inclosures  indicate  fields  controlled  by  various  Companies 

>•      wells  under  operation 

"      pipe  fines 

••  railways 
°  -  localities 

The  side  of  each  square  represents  20  miles 


MEXICO'S    GREATEST   ASSET 

on  the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  and  is  similarly 
engaged  in  the  Macuspana  district  of  Tabasco. 

Most  of  the  oils  at  present  being  produced  are 
heavy  and  more  particularly  adapted  for  use  as 
fuel,  yet  they  contain  valuable  refining  qualities, 
and  it  is  an  interesting  fact,  locally,  that  fields 
are  now  in  the  course  of  development  where  oils 
of  the  same  character  as  the  best  Pennsylvania 
grades  are  found.  It  is  believed,  however,  that  it 
will  be  as  a  source  of  fuel  that  the  Tampico  fields 
will  attain  their  greatest  importance  in  the  next 
few  years. 

At  the  end  of  1913  there  were  upward  of  twenty 
separate  fields  in  the  Tampico  region,  either  pro- 
ducing oil  or  capable  of  such  production.  The 
principal  ones  were  Potrero  del  Llano,  Tierra 
Amarilla,  Tanhuijo,  and  Alazan,  controlled  by  the 
Mexican  Eagle  Oil  Company;  Ebano,  Chijol,  and 
Juan  Casiano,  controlled  by  the  Mexican  Petro- 
leum Company;  the  Alamo,  controlled  by  the 
Penn-Mexican  Company;  the  Papantla,  controlled 
by  the  Oilfields  of  Mexico  Company;  and  the 
Topila  and  Panuco  Caracol-Salinas  fields,  in 
which  numerous  operating  companies  were  en- 
gaged, among  them  the  East  Coast,  the  Waters- 
Pierce,  the  Corona,  the  Producers,  and  the  Gulf 
Coast  companies. 

These  various  oil  regions  are  connected  with 
tide-water  through  three  river  ports,  Tampico, 

33 


PLAIN  FA;CTS  ABOUT  MEXICO 

Tuxpam,  and  Puerto  Mexico.  Tampico  is  situated 
six  miles  west  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  Panuco 
River.  Commencing  at  the  jetties  on  both  sides 
of  the  river,  and  extending  past  the  city,  are 
located  the  various  tank  "farms,"  loading- 
wharves,  and  "topping "-plants  of  the  Mexican 
Eagle,  Huasteca  Petroleum,  Pierce  Oil,  Standard 
Oil,  and  other  operating  companies.  Within  six 
miles  of  Tampico,  steel  tankage  of  fully  5,000,000 
barrels  capacity  has  been  erected.  Tampico  is 
the  terminus  of  two  branches  of  the  National 
Railways,  one  leading  to  Monterey,  and  thence 
to  the  border  towns  of  Laredo,  Brownsville,  and 
Eagle  Pass;  the  other,  the  San  Luis  Potosi  section, 
leading  to  the  elevated  central  plateau;  and  it  is 
also  the  terminal  of  pipe  lines  owned  by  the 
Huasteca,  Mexican  Eagle,  and  Tampico  com- 
panies. The  Tuxpam  port  is  situated  five  miles 
west  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  Tuxpam  River, 
where  all  freight  has  to  be  lightered  on  account 
of  shallow  water.  It  is  the  terminal  of  the  pipe 
lines  of  the  Mexican  Eagle  and  Oilfields  of  Mexico 
companies,  and  the  principal  loading-station  of 
the  former  company.  Puerto  Mexico  is  a  modern 
port,  on  the  Coatzacoalcos  River,  where  tank 
steamers  of  the  largest  draught  can  be  accommo- 
dated. At  Minatitlan,  twenty  miles  up  the  river, 
is  situated  the  large  refinery  of  the  Mexican  Eagle 
Company,  whose  plant  is  connected  by  a  branch 

34 


MEXICO'S    GREATEST   ASSET 

line  with  the  Tehuantepec  National  Railway,  by 
which  easy  access  to  the  Pacific  ports  from  Salina 
Cruz  is  afforded.  For  the  Atlantic  service  the 
tank  steamers  are  loaded  partly  at  the  company's 
wharves  at  Minatitlan  and  partly  at  Puerto 
Mexico,  there  being  pipe-line  connection  between 
the  two  stations. 

There  are  several  petroleum-refining  plants,  the 
principal  ones  being  situated  at  Minatitlan  (Mexi- 
can Eagle  Oil  Company),  and  at  Tampico  (Waters- 
Pierce  Company).  The  former  company  has  a 
daily  input  of  9,000  barrels;  the  latter  of  6,000. 
The  products  of  these  two  refineries  include  naph- 
tha, illuminating  and  lubricating  oils,  paraffin  wax, 
and  asphalt.  Fuel  oil  is  used,  not  only  on  the  rail- 
ways, but  also  in  smelting,  mining,  and  industrial 
plants  generally. 


IV 


A  I/THOUGH  Mexico  has  an  enormous  sea- 
•**•  board,  comparatively  little  of  it  is  naturally 
suited  to  the  purposes  of  commerce.  Of  late  con- 
siderable progress  has  been  made  in  the  direction 
of  bringing  the  ports  of  the  country  into  line  with 
the  improved  railway  facilities  and  the  growing 
volume  of  trade,  and  to-day  Mexico  has  some  of 
the  finest  and  best-managed  ports  on  the  con- 
tinent. The  chief  ports  (with  the  States  in  which 
they  are  situated)  are  Acapulco  (Guerrero); 
Altata  (Sinaloa) ;  Campeche  (State  of  same  name) ; 
Ensenada  (Lower  California);  Frontera  (Ta- 
basco) ;  Guaymas  (Sonora) ;  Laguna  de  Terminos 
(an  island  off  Campeche) ;  Manzanillo  (Colima) ; 
Matamoros  (Tamaulipas) ;  Mazatlan  (Sinaloa); 
Progreso  (Yucatan);  Puerto  Angel  (Oaxaca); 
Puerto  Mexico,  formerely  called  Coatzacoalcos 
(Vera  Cruz) ;  Salina  Cruz  (Oaxaca) ;  San  Bias 
(Tepic) ;  Santa  Rosalia  (Lower  California) ;  So- 
conusco  (Chiapas);  Tampico  (Tamaulipas);  Tux- 

36 


COMMERCE,  BANKING,  AND  FINANCE 

pam  (Vera  Cruz) ;  and  Vera  Cruz,  the  chief  port 
of  the  country  (in  State  of  same  name). 

In  the  fiscal  year  ended  June  30,  1913,  the  de- 
clared total  value  of  the  foreign  trade  amounted 
to  $496,177,956,  to  which  imports  contributed 
$195,772,339,  and  exports  $300,405,617.  The 
import  trade  was  distributed  as  follows :  From  the 
United  States,  $97,287,556;  Great  Britain,  $25,- 
900,093;  Germany,  $25,220,770;  France,  $18,- 
337,956;  Spain,  $10,530,642;  other  countries, 
$18,495,322.  The  export  trade  was:  To  the 
United  States,  $232,035,708;  Great  Britain,  $31,- 
147,104;  Germany,  $16,438,019;  France,  $7,151,- 
019;  Spain,  $2,182,827;  other  countries,  $11,- 
450,940.  The  export  trade,  classified  by  products, 
was  as  follows :  Mineral,  $189,648,610;  vegetable, 
$85,942,954;  animal,  $19,837,832;  manufactured, 
$3,345,264;  unclassified,  $1,630,955.  The  import 
trade  comprised  animals  and  animal  products, 
vegetable  products,  mineral  products,  textiles, 
chemical  products,  wines  and  spirits,  paper  and 
paper  manufactures,  machinery  and  implements, 
vehicles,  and  arms  and  explosives. 

The  value  of  the  total  trade  was  distributed 
by  ports  of  entry  as  follows:  Gulf  ports — 
imports,  $147,315,298;  exports,  $216,014,630: 
Pacific  ports  —  imports,  $10,002,736;  exports, 
$17,566,647:  Northern  frontier  ports  —  imports, 
$38,436,419;  exports,  $66,179,856:  and  South- 

37 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT  MEXICO 

ern  frontier  ports  —  imports,  $17,884;  exports, 
$644,482. 

Official  reports  of  the  United  States  Department 
of  Commerce,  covering  the  calendar  year  1915, 
showed:  Imports  of  merchandise  from  Mexico, 
$83,551,993,  and  exports  of  merchandise  to 
Mexico,  $41,071,140,  both  figures  representing  the 
values  in  American  gold. 

Banking  System. — The  decimal  system  was 
adopted  in  Mexico  in  1905,  when  a  gold  standard 
and  Government  coinage  were  substituted  for  an 
uncertain  silver-standard  and  free  coinage.  The 
unit  was  made  the  silver  peso,  9027  fine,  to  con- 
tain 24,438  grams  of  silver,  the  valuation  to  be 
•75  grams  of  gold.  The  peso  consists  of  100 
centavos.  The  coinage  includes  five-  and  ten-peso 
gold  pieces,  the  peso,  fifty-,  twenty-,  and  ten- 
centavo  pieces  of  silver,  nickel  coins  representing 
five  and  ten  centavos,  and  bronze  coins  represent- 
ing one  and  two  centavos. 

The  banking  system  of  Mexico  is  based  on  a 
plurality  of  banks  of  issue,  with  a  single  institution 
at  the  center  without  numerous  branches,  but 
maintaining  a  metallic  reserve  and  supporting 
local  banks  by  rediscounts.  This  system  is  a 
result  of  a  complete  reorganization  of  a  prior  one 
by  a  law  enacted  in  1897.  The  Federal  banking 
system  recognizes  three  classes  of  institutions — 
banks  of  issue,  issuing  notes  payable  to  bearer  on 

38 


COMMERCE,  BANKING,  AND  FINANCE 

demand ;  mortgage  banks,  issuing  mortgage  bonds 
to  cover  loans  on  real  estate ;  and  banks  of  finance 
or  promotion,  issuing  treasury  bonds  to  cover 
loans  to  industry  and  agriculture  for  short  terms, 
but  longer  than  the  term  of  the  usual  commercial 
loan.  The  mortgage  banks  are  of  the  usual  type 
existing  in  Europe — issuing  bonds  for  even  amounts 
and  for  long  terms,  capable  of  easy  transfer  in  the 
open  market.  The  difference  between  the  banks 
of  finance  or  promotion  and  the  mortgage  banks 
is  mainly  the  term  of  their  obligations,  which  was 
limited  by  the  Act  of  1897  to  a  maximum  of  two 
years  and  extended  in  1908  to  three  years. 

It  is  provided  that  the  amount  of  the  issues  of 
circulating  notes  shall  not  exceed  three  times  the 
paid-up  capital  of  the  bank,  and  that  a  reserve  of 
50  per  cent,  shall  be  held  not  against  notes  only, 
but  also  against  deposits  payable  on  demand  or 
subject  to  withdrawal  at  not  more  than  three 
days'  notice.  This  requirement  is  not  so  exacting, 
however,  as  might  appear,  because  the  law  does 
not  count  as  deposits  the  privilege  given  to  bor- 
rowers to  draw  upon  the  bank.  All  such  "current 
accounts,"  as  they  are  called,  even  though  the 
depositors  have  the  privilege  of  checking  against 
them,  are  specifically  exempted  from  classification 
as  deposits. 

Bank-notes  are  not  legal  tender,  but  circulate 
only  by  voluntary  acceptance  on  the  part  of  the 
4  39 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

public.  They  are  required  to  bear  on  their  face 
the  promise  to  pay  the  bearer  in  cash  the  amount 
of  the  face  value  of  the  note.  Notes  must  be  re- 
deemed at  the  head  office  of  the  bank  or  its 
branches,  but  the  branches  are  under  legal  obliga- 
tions only  to  redeem  the  notes  which  they  have 
issued.  The  denominations  of  Mexican  bank-notes 
are  limited  to  $5,  $10,  $20,  $50,  $100,  $500,  and 
$1,000.  The  smallest  of  these  denominations, 
equivalent  to  $2.50  in  American  gold,  leaves  a 
vacuum  in  the  circulation  for  the  use  of  the 
silver  peso,  which  for  many  years  was  almost 
the  only  money  of  the  country  except  the  sub- 
sidiary coins. 

State  banks  of  issue  are  under  the  direction  of  a 
board  of  directors  or  council  of  administration 
(consejos  de  administracidri),  the  authority  be- 
ing exercised  by  a  majority,  and  the  members  of 
the  board  being  responsible  at  civil  law  for  any 
infringement  of  the  provisions  of  the  banking 
law  which  has  their  sanction.  The  law  of  1897 
took  several  leaves  from  the  banking  history  of 
the  United  States,  as  well  as  of  some  European 
countries,  in  requirements  regarding  publicity  and 
official  supervision.  It  provides  that  the  banks 
shall  publish  monthly  a  cash  statement  which, 
besides  showing  balances  of  accounts  as  required 
by  law,  shall  also  set  forth  the  amount  of  coin  on 
hand,  the  amount  of  notes  in  circulation,  and  the 

40 


COMMERCE,  BANKING,  AND  FINANCE 

amount  of  deposits  payable  on  demand  or  on 
notice  of  three  days  or  less.  Aside  from  these 
monthly  published  statements,  the  banks  are  sub- 
ject to  the  supervision  of  the  Federal  Department 
of  Finance. 

There  are  seven  chartered  banks  of  the  capital 
(Mexico  City);  five  independent  banks  of  the 
capital,  and  twenty-six  chartered  banks  of  the 
States.  A  clearing-house  for  the  banks  was 
founded  in  Mexico  City  in  1906,  with  a  board 
composed  of  the  following  institutions:  National 
Bank  of  Mexico,  Bank  of  London  and  Mexico, 
Mexican  Central  Bank,  International  and  Mort- 
gage Bank  of  Mexico,  Mexican  Bank  of  Commerce 
and  Industry,  International  Banking  Corporation, 
and  the  United  States  Banking  Company.  Several 
other  banks  became  affiliated  with  the  clearing- 
house. The  banks  of  issue,  on  June  30,  1913, 
had  assets  and  liabilities  balancing  at  $851,047,- 
931;  the  mortgage  banks,  $87,524,531;  and  the 
banks  of  finance  or  promotion,  $151,443,133. 

In  1900  the  Federal  Banking  Act  was  supple- 
mented by  a  law  authorizing  the  establishment  of 
general  bonded  warehouses,  in  which  imported 
goods  may  be  stored  without  payment  of  custom- 
house duties  as  long  as  they  remain  in  such  ware- 
houses. Warrants  are  issued  by  these  establish- 
ments which  enable  merchants  to  obtain  loans 
either  from  the  issuing  establishments,  which  for 

41 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

this  reason  are  classified  as  banks,  or  from  the 
other  banks. 

National  Finances. — The  Federal  Treasury  state- 
ment for  the  fiscal  year  ended  June  30,  1913, 
showed:  Ordinary  revenue  in  cash,  $120,958,902; 
ordinary  disbursements,  $110,781,871;  surplus, 
$10,177,031;  available  cash  balance,  $13,049,638, 
a  reduction  in  a  year  of  $42,236,905,  owing  to  dis- 
turbed conditions.  The  revenue  was  derived 
from:  (i)  taxes  on  foreign  commerce;  (2)  interior 
taxes,  payable  in  the  Federal  District  and  the 
Territories;  (3)  special  taxes,  payable,  similarly, 
on  real  estate,  professions,  business  licenses,  flour 
and  pulque,  inheritances,  and  other  accounts;  and 
(4)  taxes  on  public  services  and  minor  accounts. 
The  disbursements  were  for  (i)  the  Legislative 
Department;  (2)  the  Executive;  (3)  the  Judicial; 
(4)  Foreign  Relations;  (5)  Interior;  (6)  Justice; 
(7)  Public  Instruction;  (8)  Industry;  (9)  Com- 
munications and  Public  Works;  (10)  Finance  and 
Public  Credit;  (n)  War  and  Marine. 

During  the  year  there  were  paid  $6,070,538  in 
reduction  of  the  national  debt,  and  $18,890,086 
on  account  of  interest.  The  public  debt  out- 
standing at  the  end  of  the  fiscal  year  aggregated 
$310,105,945,  payable  in  foreign  money;  $134,- 
197,810  payable  in  silver  currency,  and  $666,986 
a  floating  debt  composed  of  uncollected  balances 
of  previous  budgets.  The  budget  estimates  for 

4? 


COMMERCE,  BANKING,  AND  FINANCE 


the  fiscal  year  1914-15  totaled  $15 2,204,5 
Recent  national  loans  include  one  of  4-per-cent. 
gold  bonds,  authorized  amount,  $40,000,000  in 
United  States  gold,  redeemable  in  fifty  years, 
negotiated  in  1904;  a  4-per-cent.  external  gold 
loan,  authorized  amount,  $111,000,000,  intended 
exclusively  for  the  conversion  or  redemption  of 
the  5-per-cent.  loan  of  1899,  redeemable  at  latest 
in  1945,  negotiated  in  1910;  and  a  6-per-cent. 
external  gold  loan,  authorized  amount,  $200,000,- 
ooo,  of  which  $60,000,000  was  placed  in  July,  1913, 
by  a  group  of  French  banks. 


TRANSPORTATION,     TELEGRAPH,     AND     TELEPHONE 
COMPANIES 

'"PHE  mileage  of  railways  in  operation  in 
•*•  Mexico  approximates  16,000  miles.  The 
largest  and  most  important  system  is  that  of  the 
National  Railways  of  Mexico.  This  is  not  a  State 
undertaking  in  the  sense  that  the  Government 
owns  and  operates  the  lines  on  its  own  account,  the 
Government  only  exercising  its  authority  as  an  or- 
dinary shareholder  through  its  holding  of  a  small 
excess  of  50  per  cent,  of  the  ordinary  shares.  The 
Ferro  carriles  Nacidnales  de  Mexico,  which  is  the 
official  title  of  the  National  Railways  system,  was 
created  by  the  merging  of  three  important  lines — 
the  National  Railroad  of  Mexico,  the  Mexican 
Central  Railway,  and  the  Mexican  International 
Railroad.  These  three  companies  were  consoli- 
dated into  a  single  system  in  1909,  and  subse- 
quently the  merged  company  purchased  the  Vera 
Cruz  &  Isthmus  and  the  Pan-American  railways. 
In  addition  to  these  owned  lines,  the  National 
44 


TELEGRAPH  AND  TELEPHONE 

Railways  of  Mexico  operates  under  lease  the  Inter- 
oceanic  Railway  and  the  Mexican  Southern, 
both  British  built  and  owned  lines.  The  total 
length  of  the  National  system,  owned,  controlled, 
and  operated,  exceeds  7,000  miles.  Other  im- 
portant systems  are  the  Mexican  Railway,  with 
a  length  of  520  miles,  built  with  British  capital 
in  1873 ;  the  Southern  Pacific  of  Mexico,  an  Ameri- 
can road,  with  a  length  of  approximately  1,000 
miles,  built  and  owned  by  the  Southern  Pacific 
Company  of  the  United  States;  the  Tehuantepec 
Railway,  with  a  length  of  184  miles,  built  by 
S.  Pearson  &  Son,  Ltd.,  of  London,  for  the  Mexi- 
can Government,  and  leased  to  it  for  operation 
on  a  profit-sharing  basis;  and  the  Mexican  North 
Western,  a  British  undertaking  with  472  miles  of 
track. 

The  northern  international  boundary  is  crossed 
at  six  points — viz.,  at  Laredo,  on  the  south  bank 
of  the  Rio  Grande,  begins  the  main  line  of  the 
National  Railroad,  which  traverses  Nuevo  Leon 
and  San  Luis  Potosi  to  the  City  of  Mexico;  at 
Ciudad  Porfirio  Diaz  begins  the  International 
Railway,  which  crosses  the  States  of  Coahuila  and 
Durango;  at  Ciudad  Juarez  begins  the  Mex- 
ican Central  and  the  Mexican  North  Western, 
the  former  of  which  traverses  the  great  central 
uplands  to  the  City  of  Mexico,  with  branches  to 
the  Gulf  and  Pacific  coasts;  at  Nogales,  in  Ari- 

45 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

zona,  the  Southern  Pacific  begins,  extending  south- 
ward through  the  State  of  Sonora  and  down  the 
west  coast  to  Mazatlan;  and  from  Alpine,  on  the 
Rio  Grande,  the  Kansas  City,  Mexico  &  Orienc 
line  is  being  extended  across  northern  Mexico 
to  the  port  of  Topolobampo  on  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia. 

On  the  Gulf  coast  are  four  main  ports  of  entry : 
Matamoras,  Tampico,  Vera  Cruz,  and  Puerto 
Mexico.  From  Tampico  lines  of  the  Central 
Mexican  traverse  the  tropical  lowlands  to  Mon- 
terey, Aguascalientes,  and  Mexico  City.  At  Vera 
Cruz  are  the  Gulf  terminals  of  the  Interoceanic 
and  Mexican  lines,  both  of  which  extend  to  Mexico 
City.  A  third  line,  the  Vera  Cruz  al  Isthmo,  ex- 
tends southeast,  then  south  to  the  Tehuantepec 
road,  and  thus  connects  Vera  Cruz  with  the 
Pacific  coast.  The  Tehuantepec  road,  'built  to 
handle  freight  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific, 
begins  at  Puerto  Mexico  and  extends  to  Salina 
Cruz.  The  Pan-American  road  begins  at  San 
Geronimo,  on  the  Tehuantepec  line,  and  is  in 
operation  to  the  border  of  Guatemala.  A  new  line 
is  being  laid  out  from  Santa  Lucrecia,  on  the 
Tehuantepec  road,  to  Campeche,  designed  to  link 
the  United  Railways  of  Yucatan  with  the  National 
Railways  system.  The  Mexican  Southern  Rail- 
road extends  from  the  city  of  Puebla,  about  100 
miles  southeast  of  Mexico  City,  to  Oaxaca,  in 

46 


TELEGRAPH  AND  TELEPHONE 

the  State  of  the  same  name  and  thence  about 
sixty  miles  to  Ejutla. 

In  addition  to  these  trunk  lines  there  are  numer- 
ous local  ones  of  varying  importance,  built  under 
State  or  Federal  concessions,  and  owned  or  oper- 
ated by  large  mining  and  land  companies,  or  by 
public  utility  companies,  such  as  the  Mexico 
Tramways  and  the  Puebla  Tramway  Light  and 
Power  companies. 

All  railways  in  Mexico  have  been  built  under 
concessions  providing  for  their  ultimate  reversion 
to  the  Government,  with  compensation  for  rolling- 
stock,  buildings,  and  material  on  hand  at  the 
time  of  transfer,  and  are  operated  under  the 
Mexican  railway  law,  which  was  based  on  a 
study  of  the  railway  legislation  of  various  coun- 
tries. There  is  a  standing  Railway  Commission 
which  acts  as  adviser  to  the  Minister  of  Communi- 
cations, composed  of  nine  members,  five  of  whom 
are  nominated  by  the  Government,  two  by  the 
railway  companies,  one  by  the  associated  cham- 
bers of  commerce,  and  one  by  the  agricultural 
societies. 

Telegraph  and  Telephone  Companies.  —  The 
Mexican  Telegraph  Company,  incorporated  in 
New  York  in  1878,  has  three  cables  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  from  Galveston,  Texas,  to  Vera  Cruz,  com- 
prising about  2,100  miles,  a  direct  cable  line  from 
Galveston  to  Coatzacoalcos,  825  miles,  and  a 

47 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

land  line  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mexico  City,  and  also 
owns  one-third  of  a  cable  from  New  York  to  Colon, 
Panama,  738  miles.  Its  authorized  capital  is 
$5,000,000,  and  its  general  office  is  in  New  York 
City.  The  Mexican  Telephone  and  Telegraph 
Company,  incorporated  in  Maine  in  1905,  oper- 
ates 21  exchanges  and  about  12,000  telephones. 
It  has  an  authorized  capital  of  $1,000,000,  and  its 
general  office  is  in  Boston. 

The  interior  telegraph  and  the  postal  services 
are  Government  monopolies,  both  under  the  juris- 
diction of  the  Department  of  Communications  and 
Public  Works. 


VI 

CONSTITUTION   AND   GOVERNMENT 

HTHE  Constitution  of  the  Republic  of  Mexico 
•••  was  adopted  in  1857,  and  amended  in  1873, 
1886,  1901,  1903,  and  1904.  It  recognizes  that  the 
rights  of  man  are  the  basis  and  objects  of  social 
institutions;  that  in  the  Republic  all  men  are 
born  free;  that  no  one  can  be  obliged  to  render 
personal  service  without  a  fair  remuneration  and 
without  his  full  consent;  that  no  retroactive  law 
can  be  enacted ;  and  that  under  specific  conditions 
the  President  may  suspend  the  constitutional 
guarantees  with  the  exception  of  such  as  safeguard 
human  life.  Mexicans  are  defined  as  those  born 
within  or  outside  of  the  territory  of  the  Republic 
of  Mexican  parents ;  foreigners  naturalized  accord- 
ing to  the  laws  of  the  Federation;  and  foreigners 
who  acquire  real  estate  in  the  Republic  or  who 
have  Mexican  children  born  to  them,  unless  they 
manifest  their  intention  of  preserving  their  nation- 
ality. The  Constitution  also  defines  Mexican  citi- 
zens as  those  who,  besides  being  Mexicans  of  the 
male  sex,  according  to  the  above  definition,  pos- 

49 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

sess  the  qualifications  of  being  eighteen  years  old 
if  married,  or  twenty-one  if  unmarried,  and  have  an 
honest  means  of  livelihood. 

The  supreme  power  of  the  Federal  Government 
is  exercised  by  a  General  Congress,  comprising  a 
Senate  and  a  Chamber  of  Deputies;  a  Judiciary, 
consisting  of  a  Supreme  Court  and  various  Circuit 
and  District  courts;  and  an  Executive,  the  de- 
positary of  the  Supreme  Executive  Power  of  the 
Federation,  a  single  individual  styled  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  Mexican  States.  The  Congress 
holds  two  sessions  annually,  from  September  16 
to  December  15,  and  from  April  i  to  May 
31,  and  a  permanent  committee  of  both  Houses 
sits  during  the  recesses.  The  Senate  consists  of 
two  members  from  each  State,  elected  for  four 
years,  one-half  of  the  body  being  renewed  every 
two  years.  Deputies  are  elected  on  the  basis  of 
one  member  for  every  40,000  inhabitants  or  frac- 
tion exceeding  20,000  for  two  years.  The  Supreme 
Court  consists  of  fifteen  justices,  who  are  popu- 
larly elected  by  "indirect  ballot  in  the  first 
degree"  for  terms  of  six  years.  The  qualifications 
for  election  to  the  Presidency  are:  to  be  a  born 
Mexican  citizen  in  full  enjoyment  of  the  rights  as 
such;  to  be  over  thirty-five  years  of  age  at  the 
time  of  election;  to  be  a  resident  of  the  country 
at  the  time  of  election;  and  not  to  belong  to  the 
ecclesiastical  state.  The  electors  who  designate 

So 


CONSTITUTION  AND  GOVERNMENT 

a  President  also  by  the  same  method  and  at  the 
same  time  choose  a  Vice-President,  who  must 
possess  the  same  qualifications  as  the  President. 
The  presidential  term  is  six  years. 

Under  the  President  the  executive  functions  of 
the  Government  are  exercised  by  a  Cabinet  of 
eight  members,  severally  in  charge  of  the  Ministry 
of  Foreign  Affairs  and  the  Departments  of  the 
Interior ;  Justice ;  Public  Instruction  and  Fine  Arts ; 
Fomento;  Communications  and  Public  Works; 
Finance,  Public  Credit,  and  Commerce;  and  War 
and  Marine. 

Department  of  War  and  Marine. — According  to 
the  Constitution,  it  is  the  obligation  of  every 
Mexican  to  serve  in  the  army  or  national  guard, 
but,  so  far,  no  law  establishing  and  regulating 
compulsory  military  service  has  been  enacted. 
Officially,  the  army  consists  of  twenty-eight  regi- 
ments of  infantry  (in  Spanish  called  batallones, 
the  term  regiment  being  applied  exclusively  to  the 
cavalry  and  the  artillery  corps),  two  of  which  are 
called  regional  regiments,  employed  for  service 
in  the  Territory  of  Quintana  Roo,  that  part  of 
Yucatan  inhabited  by  the  subjugated  Maya  Ind- 
ians; two  incomplete  regiments  of  infantry;  two 
regional  companies  of  infantry,  for  service  in 
Lower  California;  a  regiment  of  sappers  and 
miners;  a  squadron  of  Presidential  guards;  a 
squadron  of  army  gendarmes;  fourteen  regiments 

51 


PLAIN    FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

of  cavalry  complete  and  four  incomplete;  two 
corps  of  auxiliary  militia,  serving  in  the  States  of 
Puebla  and  Sonora;  a  squadron  serving  as  escort 
for  the  Geographical  Exploration  Commission; 
two  regiments  of  mounted  artillery;  one  regiment 
each  of  light  and  mountain  artillery;  and  a  com- 
pany serving  machine-guns.  The  educational 
establishments  are  the  Military  Academy  at  Cha- 
pultepec;  the  Escuela  Militar  de  Aspir  antes  near 
Tlalpam ;  a  Naval  Academy  at  Vera  Cruz ;  a  col- 
lege of  practical  military  surgery;  a  veterinary 
college ;  and  schools  for  the  instruction  of  soldiers 
in  the  rudiments  of  general  knowledge  in  all  the 
barracks.  The  Rural  Guards  of  the  Federation 
and  the  Fuerzas  de  Seguridad  of  the  several  States 
are  organizations  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Interior  Department  to  safeguard  the  highways 
and  to  assure  personal  safety  to  wayfarers  and 
residents  outside  the  centers  of  population. 

Mexico  has  never  attempted  the  organization 
of  a  modern  naval  force.  The  few  vessels  she 
possesses  are  intended  for  the  purposes  of  instruc- 
tion, patrol  duty,  and  transport  service.  The 
official  roster  enumerates  the  following  vessels: 
the  corvettes  Zaragoza  and  Yucatan,  both  training- 
ships;  the  gunboats  Bravo,  Morelos,  Tampico, 
Vera  Cruz,  and  Democrata\  and  the  transports 
Progreso  and  Oaxaca. 

Public  Worship  and  Education.  Religion. — The 
52 


CONSTITUTION  AND  GOVERNMENT 

great  bulk  of  the  people  are  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
faith,  but  all  religions  are  tolerated,  and  there  is 
no  State  church.  Episcopalians,  Presbyterians, 
Baptists,  Methodists,  and  Evangelicals  have  places 
of  worship,  besides  schools,  seminaries,  and  benev- 
olent institutions  in  Mexico  City.  Excepting  the 
Protestant  edifices,  the  churches  of  Mexico,  nearly 
all  of  them  built  during  the  colonial  epoch,  are, 
almost  without  exception,  in  the  style  of  the 
Spanish  Renaissance,  modified  and  in  certain  cases 
vitiated  by  baroque  or  rococo  features.  The 
Cathedral  of  Mexico,  which  occupies  substantially 
the  same  site  as  the  great  Aztec  Temple  of  the 
war-god  Huitzilopochtli,  was  begun  in  1573,  and 
dedicated  in  1667,  but  the  towers  were  not  com- 
pleted till  1791. 

Education. — A  law  of  1896  established  compul- 
sary  instruction  in  the  elementary  grades  in  the 
Federal  District  and  Territories  for  children  be- 
tween the  ages  of  six  and  twelve  years,  such  in- 
struction to  be  given  either  at  official  or  private 
schools  or  at  home,  the  enforcement  of  the  law 
being  vested  in  vigilance  committees  composed  of 
prominent  residents.  In  the  various  States  and 
Territories  educational  activities  are  established 
and  regulated  by  local  enactment.  For  higher 
education  there  are,  in  Mexico  City,  the  following 
institutions,  in  all  of  which  instruction  is  free: 
the  National  Preparatory  College,  National  Col- 

53 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

lege  of  Jurisprudence,  National  Medical  College, 
National  School  of  Engineers,  National  College  of 
Agriculture  and  Veterinary  Surgery,  High  School 
of  Commerce  and  Administration,  National  School 
of  Fine  Arts,  National  Conservatory  of  Music  and 
Declamation,  National  School  of  Arts  and  Trades 
for  Men,  School  of  Arts  and  Trades  for  Girls, 
Normal  College  for  Men,  and  Normal  College  for 
Women.  The  attendance  at  the  preparatory  and 
professional  schools  in  the  Federal  District  aver- 
ages about  6,000  annually. 

Museums  and  Libraries. — The  National  Mu- 
seum, founded  in  1865,  contains  collections  illus- 
trative of  natural  history,  anthropology,  ethnol- 
ogy, archaeology,  and  Mexican  history.  Special 
museums,  containing  collections  indicated  by  their 
titles,  include  the  National  Artillery  Museum, 
Museum  of  the  Geographical  Exploration  Com- 
mission, Museum  of  the  Commission  of  Agricul- 
tural Parasitology,  Museum  of  Geology  and 
Mineralogy,  Museum  of  Hygiene,  Museum  of 
Anatomy,  and  Museum  of  the  Agricultural  So- 
ciety. The  chief  public  libraries  in  the  Federal 
District  are  the  National  Library,  opened  in  1884, 
containing  more  than  365,000  volumes;  Library 
of  the  National  Museum;  and  libraries  of  the 
various  executive  departments  of  the  Govern- 
ment. There  are  also  many  libraries  owned  by 
private  scientific  societies. 

54 


CONSTITUTION  AND  GOVERNMENT 

Literary  and  Scientific  Associations. — The  chief 
organizations  of  this  character  in  the  Federal 
District  are  the  Mexican  Geographical  and  Statis- 
tical Society,  founded  in  1833 ;  National  Academy 
of  Medicine,  founded  in  1874;  Mexican  Academy 
of  Jurisprudence  and  Legislation,  founded  in  1889; 
Mexican  Academy  of  Exact  Physical  and  Natural 
Science,  founded  in  1894;  Associations  of  Engi- 
neers and  Architects,  founded  in  1883;  Society 
of  Natural  History,  founded  in  1878;  Pedro 
Escobedo  Medical  Society,  founded  in  1872;  An- 
tonio Alzate  Scientific  Society,  founded  in  1884; 
Academy  of  the  Spanish  Language,  founded  in 
1875;  Mexican  Geological  Society,  founded  in 
1903 ;  and  the  Academy  of  Social  Science,  founded 
in  1905. 


VII 

STATES   AND   TERRITORIES   OF   THE    FEDERATION 

AA  EXICO  is  'divided  politically  into  a  Federal 
•^ '  •*•  District,  twenty-seven  States,  and  three 
Territories.  The  following  is  a  brief  exposition 
of  the  geographical  location  of  these  divisions  and 
of  their  economic  interests;  the  area,  population, 
and  capital  city  of  each  are  given  in  the  table  on 
a  preceding  page. 

The  Federal  District. — This  Territory,  which 
was  set  apart  for  the  independent  and  exclusive 
use  of  the  Federal  Government,  originally  formed 
part  of  the  State  of  Mexico,  which  marks  its  boun- 
daries on  all  sides  except  the  south,  where  it 
touches  the  State  of  Morelos.  Formerly  divided 
into  one  urban  municipality  and  four  rural  pre- 
fectures, under  a  law  of  1903,  it  now  consists  of 
thirteen  municipalities,  of  which  Mexico  City  is 
chief.  The  city  occupies  a  small  plain  in  the 
southwest  of  the  Valley  of  Mexico.  It  is  regularly 
laid  out,  and  is  not  only  the  political,  financial, 
and  commercial  center  of  the  Republic,  but  is 

56 


STATES    AND    TERRITORIES 

becoming  an  important  manufacturing  town.  Un- 
til recent  years,  on  account  of  the  lack  of  water 
power  and  cheap  fuel,  it  did  not  rank  as  an  in- 
dustrial city,  but  the  development  of  electric 
power  and  the  possibility  of  transmitting  it  for 
long  distances  has  produced  a  remarkable  change 
in  this  respect.  By  the  railways  the  city  has 
direct  connection  with  nearly  all  of  the  State 
capitals  and  the  principal  ports  of  the  country. 

Aguascalientes,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on 
all  sides,  except  the  south  and  southeast,  by  the 
State  of  Zacatecas,  and  on  the  south  and  south- 
east by  the  State  of  Jalisco.  It  occupies  an  ele- 
vated plateau  region  extending  eastward  from  the 
Sierras  Fria  and  Laurel.  Although  one  of  the 
smallest  States  in  the  country,  it  is  second  only  to 
Vera  Cruz  in  the  large  proportion  of  area  under 
cultivation,  the  products  being  generally  those 
of  a  temperate  climate,  as  the  staple  cereals, 
sweet-potatoes,  chick-peas,  and  green  peppers. 
Gold,  silver,  iron,  lead,  copper,  tin,  sulphur,  lime, 
and  gypsum  are  included  in  the  mineral  products, 
and  the  mining  industry  is  important. 

Baja  California,  a  Territory,  is  the  peninsular 
prolongation  southward  of  the  American  State  of 
California,  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  that 
State,  on  the  east  by  the  Colorado  River  and  the 
Gulf  of  California,  and  on  the  south  and  west  by 
the  Pacific  Ocean.  A  considerable  part  of  the 

57 


PLAIN    FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

Territory  is  owned  by  six  large  companies,  who 
have  done  no  practical  development.  Sugar-cane, 
maize,  and  tobacco  are  cultivated  in  a  few  places 
for  local  needs;  stock-raising  is  a  profitable  in- 
dustry in  the  Ensenada  district;  and  gold,  silver, 
copper,  salt,  sulphur,  manganese,  lead,  and  onyx 
are  among  the  known  mineral  resources,  a  few 
only  of  which  are  worked.  The  Territory  has  no 
railroads,  and  transportation  is  afforded  by  ox- 
cart and  mule-teams. 

Campeche,  a  Gulf  State,  occupies  the  western 
part  of  the  peninsula  of  Yucatan;  is  named  from 
its  principal  forest  product,  polo  de  Campeche  (log- 
wood) ;  and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  State 
of  Yucatan,  on  the  east  by  Yucatan  and  the 
Territory  of  Quintana  Roo,  on  the  south  by  the 
Republic  of  Guatemala,  on  the  southwest  by  the 
State  of  Tabasco,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  surface  generally  consists  of  heavily 
forested  plains,  containing  valuable  dye  and  cab- 
inet woods,  except  in  the  northern  districts,  which 
are  more  open  and  well  adapted  for  stock-raising 
and  general  agriculture.  The  chief  industries  are 
the  cutting  and  exportation  of  logwood,  the 
manufacture  of  palm  hats,  hammocks,  and  tortoise- 
shell  articles,  and  stock-raising. 

Chiapas,  a  Pacific  coast  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  and  northeast  by  the  State  of  Tabasco,  on 
the  east  by  the  Republic  of  Guatemala,  on  the 

58 


STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

south  by  the  Pacific  Ocean,  on  the  west  by  the 
State  of  Oaxaca,  and  on  the  northwest  by  the 
State  of  Vera  Cruz.  In  the  Sierras  are  many  fer- 
tile districts  with  temperate  climate  and  great 
agricultural  promise.  Mahogany  and  Spanish 
cedar  abound  in  the  timber-lands;  a  fine  quality 
of  tobacco  for  cigars  and  cigarettes  is  grown  in 
the  Department  of  Simojovel;  cotton  thrives  in 
Tuxtla  and  Comitan,  cacao  in  Pichucalco,  coffee 
and  rubber  in  Soconusco,  and  apples,  peaches,  and 
nectarines  in  the  higher  elevations,  and  pineapples, 
custard  apples,  bananas,  melons,  alligator  pears, 
maize,  and  beans  in  the  lower.  The  raising  of 
cattle,  horses,  mules,  and  swine  is  also  an  industry 
of  importance. 

Chihuahua,  a  northern  border  State,  is  bounded 
on  the  north  and  northeast  by  the  United  States, 
on  the  east  by  the  State  of  Coahuila,  on  the  south 
by  the  State  of  Durango,  on  the  southwest  by  the 
State  of  Sinaloa,  and  on  the  west  by  the  States 
of  Sinaloa  and  Sonora.  Four-fifths  of  this  State 
forms  an  upland  plain,  varying  in  height  from 
4,000  to  8,000  feet,  and,  although  extensive  sand 
and  alkali  stretches  are  characteristic  features, 
many  large  tracts  have  been  transformed  into 
agricultural  and  grazing  lands  by  irrigation  and 
the  sinking  of  artesian  wells.  The  grazing  of  cattle, 
sheep,  and  goats  gives  occupation  to  a  large  num- 
ber of  people,  many  haciendas  comprising  1,000,- 

59 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

ooo  acres  and  upward,  and  from  this  industry  is 
secured  a  great  part  of  the  wealth  of  the  State. 
Statistics  show  24,314,311  acres  of  land  used  for 
grazing,  10,218,421  acres  in  forest,  and  330,035 
acres  in  farms  under  irrigation;  value  of  staple 
farm  crops  in  a  year,  $5,712,698;  of  forest  prod- 
ucts, $2,429,568.  Mining  is  the  most  developed 
industry  of  the  State,  the  products  being  gold, 
silver,  copper,  lead,  and  iron.  Other  industries 
of  importance  are  cotton,  woolen,  and  flour 
milling,  brewing,  smelting  and  refining,  and  rolling- 
mill  and  foundry  work.  Parral,  fifty  miles  west 
of  Jiminez,  on  a  branch  of  the  National  Railway, 
is  one  of  the  most  important  mining  districts  of 
the  country,  in  which  are  situated  the  Minas 
Nuevas,  Santa  Barbara,  Almoloya,  Roncesvalles, 
and  other  notable  camps. 

Coahuila,  a  northern  frontier  State,  is  bounded 
on  the  north  by  the  United  States,  on  the  east  by 
the  State  of  Nuevo  Leon,  on  the  south  by  the 
States  of  San  Luis  Potosi  and  Zacatecas,  and  on 
the  west  by  the  States  of  Durango  and  Chihuahua. 
The  southeastern  portion  of  the  State  is  too  moun- 
tainous to  be  suitable  for  extended  cultivation; 
the  plains  in  the  northwest  afford  fine  pasturage 
for  stock-raising;  and  in  this  district  lies  a  part 
of  the  famous  Laguna  region,  which,  from  an 
approximate  area  of  200,000  acres,  produces 
nine-tenths  of  all  the  cotton  grown  in  the  country. 

60 


STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

A  considerable  amount  of  the  guayule  shrub  is 
found  in  this  State,  which  is  worked  up  in  the  large 
rubber-plants  of  the  Laguna  district,  where  seven 
factories  treat  about  200  tons  per  day.  The 
mineral  industry  is  important,  the  principal  output 
being  lead,  silver,  zinc,  and  coal.  At  Las  Esper- 
anzas  is  mined  the  bulk  of  the  native  coal  used  in 
the  country. 

Colima,  a  Pacific  coast  State,  and  the  second 
smallest  in  the  confederation,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  and  northeast  by  the  State  of  Jalisco,  on 
the  east  by  the  State  of  Michoacan,  and  on  the 
south  and  west  by  the  Pacific  Ocean.  Agricul- 
ture and  stock-raising  are  the  principal  sources 
of  wealth,  the  most  important  products  being 
sugar,  rice,  maize,  palm  oil,  coffee,  and  cotton. 
Iron,  copper,  and  lead  deposits  are  known  to  exist, 
but  there  has  been  no  systematic  attempt  to  de- 
velop them.  Other  products  of  commercial 
value  are  lumber  and  salt. 

Durango,  a  north  central  State,  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  State  of  Chihuahua,  on  the  east 
by  the  State  of  Coahuila,  on  the  southeast  by  the 
State  of  Zacatecas,  on  the  south  by  the  States  of 
Zacatecas  and  Jalisco  and  the  Territory  of  Tepic, 
and  on  the  west  by  the  State  of  Sinaloa.  The 
most  important  agricultural  region  is  included  in 
the  districts  (partidos)  of  Mapimi,  Durango,  San 
Juan  del  Rio,  and  Papasquiaro,  the  products  being 

61 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

barley,  corn,  wheat,  cotton,  tobacco,  grapes,  and 
other  fruits,  leguminous  plants,  sugar-cane,  and 
cotton.  Stock-raising  is  a  flourishing  industry, 
especially  in  the  districts  of  Durango,  El  Ojo, 
Cuencame,  Nazas  Ind6,  and  Papasquiaro.  Du- 
rango is  one  of  the  leading  mining  States  of 
Mexico,  the  best-known  camps  being  Guanacevi 
(gold  and  silver),  Velardena  (silver,  lead,  and 
copper),  El  Ojo  and  Inde  (gold  and  silver),  Bacis 
and  Sapioris  (gold  and  silver),  San  Dimas  (silver, 
with  gold),  Promontario  (tin),  Coneto  (silver,  with 
copper),  and  Mapimi  (silver,  lead,  and  gold).  The 
Cerro  del  Mercado  (Iron  Mountain)  is  an  immense 
deposit  of  iron  close  to  the  city  of  Durango. 
Sulphur,  rubies,  and  other  deposits  exist,  but  are 
not  worked. 

Guanajuato,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  State  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  on  the  east 
by  the  State  of  Queretaro,  on  the  south  by  the 
State  of  Michoacan,  and  on  the  west  by  the  State 
of  Jalisco.  This  State  has  an  average  elevation 
of  6,000  feet  and  a  semi-tropical  climate.  The 
surface  in  the  northern  half  is  broken  by  two 
mountain  ranges;  in  the  southern  half  it  is  cov- 
ered by  fertile  plains,  in  which  is  situated  the  well- 
known  Bajio  district,  celebrated  for  its  large  pro- 
duction of  the  staple  cereals.  Alfalfa,  grasses, 
and  all  other  forage  growths  are  green  practically 
the  entire  year.  Herein  is  one  of  the  richest  min- 

62 


STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

eral  areas  in  the  country,  producing  gold,  silver, 
mercury,  tin,  iron,  lead,  argentiferous  lead  and 
copper,  bismuth,  hematite,  and  sulphur. 

Guerrero,  a  Pacific  coast  State,  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  States  of  Michoacan,  Mexico, 
Morelos,  and  Puebla,  on  the  east  by  the  State  of 
Oaxaca,  on  the  south  by  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  on 
the  west  by  the  State  of  Michoacan.  With  the 
exception  of  the  low  coastal  plain,  this  area  con- 
sists almost  entirely  of  the  spurs  and  offshoots  of 
the  Sierra  Madre  range,  rendering  the  valleys  nar- 
row and  difficult  of  access.  Agriculture  is  in  a 
backward  condition;  cereals  are  grown  for  local 
needs  only;  and  the  chief  exports  are  sesame, 
cotton-seed,  and  copra.  Cattle-raising  is  exten- 
sively carried  on  throughout  the  State;  a  variety 
of  fruits  is  grown  in  the  district  around  Acapulco; 
coffee  is  very  productive  near  the  coast  at  Atoyac 
and  in  the  interior  north  of  Chilpancingo ;  and 
about  sixty  mining  companies  are  operating, 
chiefly  in  the  neighborhood  of  Iguala  and  along  the 
Balsas  River,  obtaining  gold,  silver,  copper,  and 
lead. 

Hidalgo,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  State  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  on  the 
northeast  by  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz,  on  the  east 
by  the  State  of  Puebla,  on  the  south  by  the 
States  of  Tlaxcala  and  Mexico,  and  on  the  west 
by  the  State  of  Queretaro.  Here,  in  addition  to 

63 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

the  staple  cereals,  subtropical  products,  such  as 
the  orange  and  sugar-cane,  are  cultivated,  and  the 
plains  of  Apam  are  famous  for  their  maguey- 
plantations.  Silver-mining  is  the  leading  industry, 
but  deposits  of  iron  are  worked  at  Encarnacion, 
Zacualtipan,  and  Apulco.  It  was  at  Pachuca 
that  Bartolome  de  Medina  discovered  the  "patio" 
process  of  reducing  silver  ores  with  quicksilver  in 
1557,  and  his  old  hacienda  de  beneficio  is  still  to  be 
seen. 

Jalisco,  a  Pacific  State,  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  Territory  of  Tepic  and  the  States  of  Du- 
rango,  Zacatecas,  and  Aguascalientes,  on  the 
northeast  by  the  State  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  on  the 
east  by  the  States  of  Guanajuato  and  Michoacan, 
on  the  south  by  the  States  of  Michoacan  and 
Colima,  and  on  the  southwest  and  west  by  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  This  region  is  known  as  the 
"granary  of  Mexico,"  because  of  the  extent  of  the 
cultivation  of  cereals.  There  is  an  upland  district, 
having  an  average  elevation  of  5,000  feet,  where 
some  of  the  most  fertile  and  prosperous  agricul- 
tural tracts  of  the  country  are  to  be  found.  Sugar- 
cane is  extensively  cultivated  in  the  valleys  of 
Zapotlan,  Tamagula,  and  Ahualulco,  and  a  high- 
grade  tobacco  in  Las  Penas  Valley.  The  cattle 
industry  thrives ;  the  maguey  is  cultivated  for  the 
manufacture  of  a  spirituous  liquor  known  as 
tequila;  gold  and  silver  are  found  at  Hostotipa- 

64 


STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

quillo;  copper  ores  at  Etzatlan,  Ameca,  and  else- 
where; iron  ore  at  Tula;  and  anthracite  near  Za- 
potlan. 

Mexico,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  State  of  Hidalgo,  on  the  east  by  the  States 
of  Tlaxcala  and  Puebla,  on  the  south  by  the 
Federal  District  and  the  States  of  Morelos  and 
Guerrero,  on  the  west  by  the  State  of  Michoacan, 
and  on  the  northwest  by  the  State  of  Queretaro. 
The  Valley  of  Mexico  has  an  average  elevation 
of  more  than  7,000  feet,  and  that  of  Toluca  of 
about  8,000  feet.  The  former  has  a  cool  and  agree- 
able climate ;  the  latter  a  cold  climate.  The  prin- 
cipal industries  of  this  State  are  agricultural,  the 
production  consisting  of  cereals,  sugar,  maguey, 
coffee,  and  fruit.  Stock-raising  is  also  a  profitable 
industry.  Other  notable  activities  are  the  manu- 
facture of  cotton  and  woolen  goods,  flour,  glass- 
ware, pottery,  bricks,  wines,  spirits,  and  pulque. 
Mining  yields  gold,  silver,  lead,  copper,  antimony, 
and  iron. 

Michoacan,  a  Pacific  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  State  of  Guanajuato,  on  the  north- 
east by  the  State  of  Queretaro,  on  the  east  by  the 
State  of  Mexico,  on  the  south  by  the  State  of 
Guerrero  and  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  on  the  west 
by  the  States  of  Colima  and  Jalisco.  It  is  almost 
evenly  divided  by  the  eastern  range  of  the  Sierra 
Madre  into  a  northern  portion  in  the  center  pla- 

65 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

teau  region  and  a  southern  portion  broken  up 
into  fertile  valley  and  wooded  ranges  sloping 
gradually  to  the  Balsas  River.  The  Pacific  slope 
and  southern  portion  contain  fine  timber  as  yet 
not  developed;  in  the  plateau  region  cereals,  cot- 
ton, chick-peas,  tobacco,  sugar,  and  coffee  are 
grown,  chiefly  for  local  needs.  The  mining  indus- 
try is  important,  principally  centered  at  Tlalpu- 
jahua  (gold  and  silver),  Angangueo  (silver),  In- 
guaran  (copper),  and  Coalcoman  (iron). 

Morelos,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  Federal  District  and  the  State  of 
Mexico,  on  the  east  by  the  State  of  Puebla,  on 
the  south  by  the  State  of  Guerrero,  and  on  the 
west  by  the  State  of  Mexico.  This  State  is  essen- 
tially an  agricultural  one,  producing  sugar  (which 
is  the  characteristic  crop),  rice,  coffee,  and  the 
chief  cereals.  Here  are  undeveloped  deposits  of 
silver,  lead,  and  iron. 

Nuevo  Leon,  a  northern  State,  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  State  of  Coahuila,  on  the  north- 
east by  the  United  States  and  the  State  of  Ta- 
maulipas,  on  the  east  by  the  State  of  Tamaulipas, 
on  the  south  and  southwest  by  the  State  of  San 
Luis  Potosi,  and  on  the  west  by  the  State  of 
Coahuila.  Agriculture,  mining,  and  smelting  con- 
stitute the  principal  industries.  The  chief  prod- 
ucts of  agriculture  are  the  staple  cereals,  sugar- 
cane, and  fibers;  of  mining,  lead,  zinc,  and  silver. 

66 


STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

There  are  a  large  number  of  sugar-mills,  cotton 
and  woolen  mills,  smelting  and  iron  and  steel 
works. 

Oaxaca,  a  Pacific  State,  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  States  of  Puebla  and  Vera  Cruz,  on  the 
east  by  the  State  of  Chiapas,  on  the  south  by  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  and  on  the  west  by  the  State  of 
Guerrero.  This  State  covers  the  greater  part  of 
the  Isthmus  of  Tehuantepec,  and  its  agricultural 
products  are  of  the  usual  tropical  and  sub- 
tropical variety.  The  Valle  National  is  a  famous 
tobacco  region;  near  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz  are 
large  sugar-plantations;  mineral  productions  are 
gold,  silver,  and  onyx;  coal  and  iron  deposits  are 
known  but  undeveloped. 

Puebla,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  and  east  by  the  State  of  Vera  Cruz,  on  the 
south  by  the  States  of  Oaxaca  and  Guerrero,  and 
on  the  west  by  the  States  of  Morelos,  Mexico, 
Tlaxcala,  and  Hidalgo.  There  are  some  300,000 
haciendas,  with  an  annual  production  of  $40,000,- 
ooo,  principally  in  the  staple  cereals,  sugar,  coffee, 
and  rice,  and  over  forty  factories  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  cotton  thread  and  cloth  and  print 
goods.  Other  manufactures  include  the  famous 
ornamental  iron-work,  ornamental  tiles,  wine, 
beer,  alcohol,  starch,  beds,  cigarettes,  chocolate, 
spaghetti,  glass,  mosaic,  tanned  leather,  and  hats. 
Mining  is  confined  to  copper,  with  some  silver  and 

67 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

gold.  Stock-raising  flourishes  here,  and  a  large 
export  trade  is  done  in  hides  and  goat-skins. 

Queretaro,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  State  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  on  the  east 
by  the  State  of  Hidalgo,  on  the  southeast  by  the 
State  of  Mexico,  on  the  south  by  the  State  of 
Michoacan,  and  on  the  west  by  the  State  of 
Guanajuato.  Agriculture  is  here  undeveloped, 
because  of  the  uncertain  rainfall  and  absence  of 
irrigation  enterprise.  Mining  of  gold,  silver, 
antimony,  and  cinnabar  is  of  some  importance. 
In  the  central  and  southern  regions  are  fertile 
areas  producing  cereals,  leguminous  plants,  to- 
bacco, and  sugar-cane. 

Quintana  Roo,  is  a  Territory  along  the  east  coast 
of  the  peninsula  of  Yucatan,  from  which  it  was 
politically  separated  in  1902.  There  is  little  or  no 
agriculture.  Near  the  coast  the  land  is  generally 
thickly  covered  with  mangrove  and  cocoanuts; 
farther  inland  are  found  dyewoods  of  all  kinds; 
and  still  farther,  cedar  and  mahogany.  Chicle  is 
one  of  the  principal  articles  of  export.  There  are 
valuable  fisheries  along  the  coast,  and  turtles  and 
sponges  are  abundant. 

San  Luis  Potosi,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  States  of  Coahuila  and  Zacatecas, 
on  the  northeast  and  east  by  the  States  of  Nuevo 
Leon  and  Tamaulipas,  on  the  east  by  the  States 
of  Tamaulipas  and  Vera  Cruz,  on  the  south  by 

68 


STATES    AND   TERRITORIES 

the  States  of  Hidalgo,  Queretaro,  and  Guana- 
juato, on  the  southwest  by  the  States  of  Jalisco  and 
Zacatecas,  and  on  the  west  by  the  State  of  Zaca- 
tecas.  The  State  lies  entirely  in  the  central 
plateau  region,  with  an  average  elevation  of  6,000 
feet.  Agriculture  is  as  yet  inadequately  developed, 
although  the  lands  are  fertile  and  the  rainfalls 
usually  sufficient  for  the  successful  raising  of 
crops.  Maize  and  corn  are  grown  in  the  central 
and  western  districts,  and  various  tropical  prod- 
ucts in  the  eastern.  Asphaltum  and  petroleum 
deposits  in  the  eastern  and  southeastern  sections 
are  being  actively  developed.  The  mining  out- 
put, chiefly  gold,  silver,  copper,  lead,  and  zinc, 
has  an  average  annual  value  of  $8,000,000. 

Sinaloa,  a  Pacific  State,  is  bounded  on  the  north 
and  northeast  by  the  States  of  Sonora  and  Chi- 
huahua, on  the  east  by  the  State  of  Durango,  on 
the  southeast  by  the  Territory  of  Tepic,  and  on  the 
south  and  west  by  the  Gulf  of  California  and  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  The  surface  consists  of  a  narrow 
tropical  coastal  zone,  a  broad  forested  belt  of 
the  higher  ranges  of  the  Sierra  Madre  Occidental, 
and  an  intermediate  subtropical  zone  of  an  aver- 
age elevation  of  2,000  feet,  where  there  are  excel- 
lent agricultural  lands.  The  annual  value  of  the 
agricultural  production  approximates  $8,000,000, 
consisting  chiefly  of  cereals,  tobacco,  and  sugar. 
Tomatoes  are  here  cultivated  extensively  for 

69 


PLAIN   FACTS  ABOUT  MEXICO 

American  markets.  Stock-raising  and  the  ex- 
portation of  hides  are  important;  the  forests  con- 
tain many  valuable  woods;  and  mining  is  the 
chief  industry  of  the  State. 

Sonora,  a  northwestern  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  United  States,  on  the  east  by  the 
State  of  Chihuahua,  on  the  south  by  the  State 
of  Sinaloa,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia; is  the  second  largest  State  in  the  country. 
The  surface  is  much  broken  by  ramifications  of 
the  Sierra  Madre  Occidental;  the  State  is  trav- 
ersed by  four  rivers;  the  soil  of  the  mountain 
valleys  is  fertile;  and  the  chief  industry  is  mining, 
the  products  being  copper,  gold,  and  silver,  in 
order  of  importance. 

Tabasco,  a  Gulf  State,  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  east  by  the  State 
of  Campeche  and  Guatemala,  on  the  south  by 
Guatemala  and  Chiapas,  and  on  the  west  by  Vera 
Cruz.  It  is  essentially  an  agricultural  State,  the 
principal  products  being  sugar,  cacao,  rum,  rub- 
ber, coffee,  corn,  and  cattle.  Two  navigable 
rivers  constitute  the  principal  means  of  com- 
munication. In  the  south  and  southeast  are  ex- 
tensive forests,  from  which  valuable  timber  and 
dyewoods  are  exported. 

Tamaulipas,  a  northern  State,  is  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  United  States,  on  the  east  by  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  south  by  the  States  of 

70 


STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Vera  Cruz  and  San  Luis  Potosi,  and  on  the  west 
by  the  State  of  Nuevo  Leon.  The  most  fertile 
agricultural  districts  are  between  the  Sierra  Madre 
and  the  coast,  in  the  southern  part ;  cattle-raising 
is  carried  on  principally  in  the  northeast  and  south- 
west; zinc  and  lead  are  found  in  the  Victoria  dis- 
trict; and  extensive  petroleum  deposits  are  in  the 
southern  half  of  the  State  and  the  region  tributary 
to  Tampico,  the  Mexican  oil  metropolis  and  the 
second  port  of  the  country. 

Tepic,  is  a  Territory,  bounded  on  the  north  by 
the  States  of  Durango  and  Sinaloa,  on  the  east 
and  south  by  the  State  of  Jalisco,  and  on  the  west 
by  the  Pacific  Ocean.  It  is  chiefly  concerned  with 
agriculture,  wheat  and  other  cereals,  coffee,  to- 
bacco, and  sugar  being  largely  cultivated,  and  it 
also  has  considerable  gold,  silver,  copper,  and 
lead  mining  interests. 

Tlaxcala,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north,  east,  south,  and  southwest  by  the  State 
of  Puebla,  on  the  west  by  the  State  of  Mexico, 
and  on  the  northwest  by  the  State  of  Hidalgo. 
This,  too,  is  an  essentially  agricultural  State, 
cereals  and  the  maguey  plant  forming  the  chief 
products. 

Vera  Cruz,  a  Gulf  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  State  of  Tamaulipas,  on  the  east  by 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  on  the  southeast  by  the 
States  of  Tabasco  and  Chiapas,  on  the  south  by 

6  71 


PLAIN    FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

the  State  of  Oaxaca,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
States  of  Puebla,  Hidalgo,  and  San  Luis  Potosi. 
Much  of  the  chief  industrial  activity  of  this 
State  has  already  been  outlined  on  a  preceding 
page  under  the  caption  of  "Mexico's  Greatest 
National  Asset."  In  addition  thereto,  it  is  to  be 
noted  that  the  general  agricultural  production 
has  an  average  annual  value  of  upward  of  $70,- 
000,000,  that  a  considerable  trade  is  done  in  the 
exportation  of  various  fiber  plants,  that  oranges 
and  tobacco  are  valuable  articles  of  export,  that 
textile-mills  lead  in  a  long  list  of  manufacturing 
enterprises,  and  that,  excepting  petroleum,  the 
mineral  resources  of  the  state  are  practically  un- 
developed. 

Yucatan,  a  Gulf  State,  occupies  the  northwest 
part  of  the  peninsula  to  which  it  gives  its  name, 
and  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  on  the  east  and  south  by  the  Territory  of 
Quintana  Roo,  on  the  southwest  by  the  State  of 
Campeche,  and  on  the  west  by  the  State  of 
Campeche  and  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  surface 
is  loose  soil,  covering  coralline  limestone,  which 
permits  of  the  rapid  percolation  and  evaporation 
of  the  rainfall,  conditions  exceedingly  favorable 
for  the  cultivation  of  the  maguey  plant,  from 
which  the  sisal  hemp  or  henequen  of  commerce  is 
produced,  and  which  is  the  principal  source  of  the 
revenue  of  the  State. 

72 


STATES   AND   TERRITORIES 

Zacatecas,  a  central  State,  is  bounded  on  the 
north  by  the  States  of  Durango  and  Coahuila, 
on  the  east  by  the  State  of  San  Luis  Potosi,  on  the 
south  by  the  States  of  Aquasalientes  and  Jalisco, 
on  the  west  by  the  State  of  Jalisco,  and  on  the 
northwest  by  the  State  of  Durango.  It  is  entirely 
on  the  central  plateau,  having  an  average  elevation 
of  7,700  feet,  and  its  industrial  life  is  nearly  equally 
divided  between  farming,  mining,  and  stock- 
raising. 


VIII 

AMERICAN     INVESTMENTS 

IMMENSE  as  is  the  wealth  of  Mexico  in  gold, 
*•  silver,  and  copper,  it  is  richer  in  oil  than  all 
the  other  minerals  combined,  and  while  oil  is 
found  in  many  of  the  States,  it  is  in  the  Tampico 
and  Tuxpam  districts  along  the  Gulf  that  its 
greatest  development  has  been  reached.  It  is  a 
matter  of  record  that  the  Standard  Oil  Company 
alone  made  $240,557,197  in  the  period  of  1882-96, 
and  $558,226,625  in  the  period  of  1897-1906.  Its 
banner  years  were  1907-12,  when  its  profits  were 
estimated  at  $802,507,552.  At  one  time  this  com- 
pany had  practically  a  monopoly  of  production 
in  Mexico,  but  to-day  its  chief  activity  there  is 
the  refining  of  oil.  The  sharp  rivalry  that  existed 
for  many  years  between  it  and  the  English  in- 
terests has  now  nearly,  if  not  wholly,  ceased. 

In  1916  there  were  forty-six  companies  operating 
in  this,  the  greatest  of  all  oil  zones,  the  largest  being 
the  Mexican  Petroleum  Company,  the  Metropoli- 
tan Petroleum  Company  (both  American),  and 

74 


AMERICAN    INVESTMENTS 

the  Mexican  Eagle  Company  (English).  Edward 
L.  Doheny  is  at  the  head  of  the  Mexican  Petro- 
leum Company,  Richard  Levering  of  the  Metro- 
politan Petroleum  Company,  and  Lord  Cowdray, 
formerly  Sir  Weetman  Pearson,  of  the  Mexican 
Eagle  Company.  Other  large  companies  are  the 
Tuxpam  and  Ozuluama  Petroleum  Company 
(George  D.  Cook  &  Co.,  New  York),  and  the  Shell 
Company  (English),  the  latest  to  enter  the  field. 
The  production  of  all  companies  is  estimated  at 
from  300,000  to  500,000  barrels  per  day,  and  in 
the  single  year  of  1913  the  total  output  was 
24,574,500  barrels. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  American  com- 
panies having  oil  interests  in  Mexico:  Mexican 
Petroleum  Company,  Texas  Company,  Pierce  Oil 
Corporation,  Gulf  Refining  Company,  East  Coast 
Oil  Company  (Southern  Pacific),  Penn-Mex  Fuel 
Company,  Standard  Oil  Company  of  New  Jersey, 
Port  Lobos  Oil  Company  (American  Tobacco  in- 
terests), Freeport  Mexican  Fuel  Oil  Company 
(Freeport  Texas  Sulphur  Company),  and  the  Tam- 
pico  Oil  Company  (John  Hays  Hammond  in- 
terests) . 

It  has  already  been  noted  that  the  estimated 
total  investment  in  the  various  mining  interests  is 
$647,200,000,  of  which  $499,000,000  is  American 
capital,  $87,200,000  British,  $10,000,000  French, 
and  $29,400,000  Mexican.  The  most  important 

75 


PLAIN   FACTS   ABOUT   MEXICO 

of  the  American  mining  interests  are  in  the  copper- 
fields,  and  are  controlled  by  the  Guggenheims, 
J.  P.  Morgan  &  Co.,  and  Phelps,  Dodge  &  Co. 
The  principal  American  owners  of  the  railroad 
interests  are  J.  P.  Morgan  &  Co.,  Kuhn,  Loeb  & 
Co.,  Speyer  &  Co.,  and  Hallgarten  &  Co. 

For  business  reasons  it  is  impossible  to  give 
even  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  amount  and 
distribution  of  American  capital  in  the  various 
fields  of  investment  in  Mexico.  Here  are  two 
statements  of  such  capitalization,  both  from 
official  sources,  and  both  widely  divergent,  the 
first  claimed  to  be  under,  the  second  over,  a  reason- 
able estimate.  The  first  totals  $450,000,000,  and 
comprises:  Mexican  Government  securities,  $30,- 
000,000;  Mexican  railway  shares  and  bonds, 
$40,000,000;  Mexican  railways  in  course  of  con- 
struction, principally  the  Southern  Pacific,  $70,- 
000,000;  mining  and  smelting  interests,  $150,- 
000,000;  rubber  interests,  $15,000,000;  oil  and 
refineries,  $40,000,000;  lumber,  $50,000,000;  sugar, 
$30,000,000;  and  miscellaneous  (cattle,  hemp, 
real  estate,  etc.),  $25,000,000. 

The  second  statement  (by  Marion  Letcher, 
United  States  consul  at  Chihuahua)  totals  the 
great  sum  of  $1,057,770,000,  and  comprises:  Rail- 
way stocks,  $235,464,000;  railway  bonds,  $408,- 
926,000;  bank  stocks,  $7,850,000;  bank  deposits, 
$22,700,000;  mines,  $223,000,000;  smelters,  $26,- 

76 


AMERICAN    INVESTMENTS 

500,000;  national  bonds,  $52,000,000;  timber- 
lands,  $8,100,000;  ranches  $3,150,000;  farms, 
$910,000;  live-stock,  $9,000,000;  houses  and  per- 
sonal property,  $4,500,000;  soap-factories,  etc., 
$1,200,000;  breweries,  $600,000;  miscellaneous 
factories,  $9,600,000;  tramways,  power,  and  elec- 
tric-light plants,  $760,000;  wholesale  stores, 
$2,700,000;  retail  stores,  $1,680,000;  oil  business, 
$15,000,000;  rubber  industry,  $15,000,000;  pro- 
fessional outfit,  $3,600,000;  insurance,  $4,000,000; 
theaters,  $25,000;  and  hotels,  $260,000. 

Regarding  the  second  statement,  it  should  be 
noted  that  Consul  Letcher  pointed  out  that  the 
figures  indicated  the  par  value  rather  than  the 
market  value  of  the  various  securities  included  in 
his  report,  and  this  will  account  in  large  measure 
for  the  great  difference  in  the  totals  of  the  two 
statements.  But  they  serve  at  least  to  indicate 
the  richness  of  Mexico's  natural  resources,  the 
vast  amount  of  American  and  other  foreign  capi- 
tal already  invested,  and  the  opportunities  for 
further  development. 


INDEX 


Agricultural  industries,  19.  Eastern  region,  3. 

Aguascalientes,  State  of,  57.  Education,  53. 

American  investments,  74.  Expenditure,  national,  42. 

Area  and  population,  17.  Exports,  37. 
Army,  51.  p 

B 

Federal  Banking  Act,  41. 
Baja  California,   Territory  of,   Federal  District,  56. 

57.  Finances,  national,  42. 

Banking  system:  Fruits,  24. 

Banks,  chartered,  41. 
Banks  of  issue,  38. 


Grains,  21. 

Great  elevated  plains,  8. 

„  i,     G*.  <     nt    e&  Guanajuata,  State  of,  62. 

Campeche   State  of,  58.  Guerrero,  State  of,  63. 

Capital  cities,  16. 
Central  and  northern  region,  5. 
Chiapas,  State  of,  58. 

Chihuahua,  State  of,  59.  w;,*ai««   <5tatp  of  61 

Climate  of  the  tablelands,  II.   Hidalgo,  btate  OK,  t>3- 

Climatic  zones,  20. 

Coahuila,  State  of,  60. 

Coffee,  25.  Imports,  37. 

Coinage,  38.  Industries,  agricultural,  19. 

Colima,  State  of,  61.  Manufacturing,  28. 

Commerce,  36.  Mining,  19. 

Constitution,  49.  Petroleum,  31. 

Copper  production,  27.  Investments,  foreign,  74~77« 

Cotton,  23.  American,  74. 

j 

Debt,  national,  42. 

Durango,  State  of,  61.  Jalisco,  State  of,  64. 

79 


INDEX 


Lead  production,  27,  28. 
Libraries,  54. 
Literary  associations,  55. 
Live-stock,  25. 
Lower  California  region,  14. 
Lower  California,  Territory  of, 
57. 


Manufacturing  industries,  28. 
Mexico,  State  of,  65. 
Mexico's  greatest   natural   as- 

set,  31. 

Michoacan,  State  of,  65. 
Mining  industries,  19,  26. 
Monetary  unit,  38. 
Morelos,  State  of,  66. 
Museums,  54. 

N 

National  finances,  42. 
Natural  and  racial  features  and 

Navy°5i  '* 

Nuevo  Leon,  State  of,  66. 


Oaxaca,  State  of,  67. 

Petroleum  industry,  31,  74,  75. 

Ports  of  entry,  46. 

Principal  cities  and  towns,  pop- 


Religion,  52. 

Remarkable  elevation,  7. 
Revenue,  national,  37,  42. 
Rubber,  23. 


San  Luis  Potosi,  State  of,  68. 
Scientific  associations,  55. 
Sierra  Madre  region,  12. 
Silver  production,  27,  28. 
Sinaloa,  State  of,  69. 
Sonora,  State  of,  70. 
States,    area    and    population, 

56-73- 
Sugar-cane,  22. 


Tabasco,  State  of,  70. 
Tablelands,  climate  of  the,  n. 
Tamaulipas,  State  of,  70. 
Telegraphs  and  telephones,  44, 

TepiJ;  Territory  of,  71. 
Territories,    area   and   popula- 

Tla^'t  gfate  of,  71. 
Trade  with  United  States,  38. 
Transportation,  44. 


Vera  Craz'  State  of-  I1- 
" 

War  and  Marine  Department, 
o  *  • 

Q  Y 

Queretaro,  State  of,  68.  Yucatan    State  of   72 

Quintafia  Roo,  Territory  of,  68.    3         an'  b1        o1'  ?2' 


R 

Racial  features,  I,  15. 
Railways,  44. 


Zacatecas,  State  of,  73. 
Zinc  production,  28. 

80 


RECENT  BOOKS  OF  TRAVEL 


IN  VACATION  AMERICA  By  HARRISON  RHODES 
In  this  book  of  leisurely  wanderings  the  author 
journeys  among  the  various  holiday  resorts  of  the 
United  States  from  Maine  to  Atlantic  City,  Newport, 
Bar  Harbor,  the  Massachusetts  beaches,  Long  Island 
Sound,  the  Great  Lakes,  Niagara,  ever-young  Green- 
briar  White  and  other  Virginia  Springs,  Saratoga, 
White  Mountains,  the  winter  resorts  of  Florida,  the 
Carolinas  and  California.  Illustrated  in  Color 

ALONG  NEW  ENGLAND  ROADS 

By  WILLIAM  C.  PRIME 

All  those  who  are  on  the  lookout  for  an  unusual  way 
to  spend  a  vacation  will  find  suggestions  here.  This 
book  of  leisurely  travel  in  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont 
has  been  reprinted  to  meet  the  demand  for  a  work  that 
has  never  failed  to  charm  since  its  first  publication 
more  than  a  decade  ago.  Illustrated 

AUSTRALIAN  BYWAYS  By  NORMAN  DUNCAN 
In  this  book  the  author  gives  a  chatty  account  of 
his  trip  along  the  outskirts  of  Australian  civilization. 
The  big  cities  were  merely  passed  through,  and  the 
journeying  was  principally  by  stage-coach,  on  camel- 
back,  or  by  small  coastal  steamers  from  Western  Aus- 
tralia to  New  Guinea.  Illustrated  in  Tint 

CALIFORNIA:  An  Intimate  History 

By  GERTRUDE  ATHERTON 

The  California  of  to-day  and  the  California  of  yester- 
day with  its  picturesque  story,  are  set  forth  in  this  book 
by  the  one  writer  who  could  bring  to  it  the  skill  united 
with  that  love  for  the  task  of  a  Calif ornian-born,  Gertrude 
Atherton.  This  story  of  California  covers  the  varied  his- 
tory of  the  state  from  its  earliest  geological  beginnings 
down  to  the  California  of  1915.  Illustrated 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS 
NEW  YORK       ESTABLISHED  1817       LONDON 


HARPER'S 

CITIZEN'S    SERIES 

EDITED  BY  WILLIAM  F.  WILLOUGHBY 

Professor  of  Government  and  Jurisprudence  at  Princeton  University 


PRINCIPLES  OF  LABOR  LEGISLATION 
By  JOHN  R.  COMMONS,  LL.D. 

Professor  of  Political  Economy,  University  of  Wisconsin 
Former  Member  Industrial  Commission  of  Wisconsin,  and 
United  States  Commission  on  Industrial  Relations,  and 

JOHN  B.  ANDREWS,  Ph.D. 

Secretary  of  the  American  Association  for  Labor  Legislation 
Editor  of  the  "  American  Labor  Legislation  Review  " 

"  The   best  American  text  book  in   its  particular 
field"— Prof.  JAMES  FORD,  of  Harvard  University. 
Crown  8vo,  Cloth 


PRINCIPLES   OF    CONSTITUTIONAL 

GOVERNMENT 
By  FRANK  J.  GOODNOW,  LL.D. 

President  Johns  Hopkins  University 

The  President  of  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  is 
an  authority  of  international  reputation.  It  will  be 
remembered  that  he  was  invited  to  China  by  the  Gov- 
ernment to  draw  up  a  constitution.  This  book  is 
not  only  a  comprehensive  statement  of  the  subject, 
but  it  is  clearly  and  interestingly  written. 
Crown  8vo,  Cloth 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS 
NEW  YORK       ESTABLISHED  1817       LONDON 


RECENT  VOLUMES  IN 

HARPER'S  A-B-C  SERIES 


A-B-C  OF  GOLF  By  JOHN  D.  DUNN 

In  this  manual  a  professional  golf-player  and 
teacher  has  incorporated  the  essential  principles  of  his 
teaching  system. 

A-B-C  OF  HOME  SAVING    BY  LISSIE  C.  FARMER 

Filled  with  suggestions  of  a  practical  nature  for 
the  woman  who  wishes  to  increase  her  income  by 
cutting  down  her  expenses. 

A-B-C  OF  VEGETABLE  GARDENING 

By  EBEN  E.  REXFORD 

A  convenient  helpful  little  book  for  those  eager  to 
supply  the  home  table  with  vegetables. 

A-B-C  OF  MOTION  PICTURES 

By  ROBERT  E.  WELSH 

Answers  the  hundred  questions  asked  by  those  inter- 
tsted  in  this  new  form  of  entertainment. 

A-B-C  OF  CORRECT  SPEECH 

By  FLORENCE  HOWE  HALLI 
The  aim  of  this  volume  is  to  set  forth  the  best  usage 
with  regard  to  our  mother  tongue,  and  to  state  the 
principles  which  should  guide  our  conversation. 

A-B-C  OF  AUTOMOBILE  DRIVING 
By  ALPHEUS  HYATT  VERRILL 

Written  to  teach  beginners  how  to  operate  an  auto- 
mobile, and  to  show  those  already  proficient  the  way 
to  avoid  accidents. 

A-B-C  OF  COOKING     By  CHRISTINE  T.  HERRICK 
A  helpful  book  devoted  to  the  first  principles  of 
cookery,  one  in  which  general  rules  are  given  rather 
than  individual  recipes. 

HARPER  &  BROTHERS 
NEW  YORK       ESTABLISHED  1817       LONDON 


RECENT   BIOGRAPHIES 
AND     REMINISCENCES 


A  DIPLOMATS  WIFE  IN  MEXICO 

BY  EDITH  O'SHAUGHNESSY 

Intimate  personal  experiences  at  Mexico  City  and 
Vera  Cruz  during  those  dramatic  months  in  1913  and 
1914,  when  Nelson  O'Shaughnessy  was  American 
Charge  d' Affaires.  Illustrated.  Octavo 

THE  SUNNY  SIDE  OF  DIPLOMATIC  LIFE 

BY  MADAME  DE  HEGERMANN-LINDENCRONE 
As  the  wife  of  a  Danish  diplomat  she  has  many 
gossipy  bits  to   relate  of  life  in   Washington,  Rome, 
Denmark,  Paris  and  Berlin.        Illustrated.     Octavo 

IN  THE  COURTS  OF  MEMORY 

BY  MADAME  DE  HEGERMANN-LINDENCRONE 

An  American   woman   with   eyes   and  ears  would 

have  had  much  to  see  and  hear  at  the  court  of  Napoleon 

III.     It  is  exactly  this  fascinating  story  that  is  told  in 

this  book.  Illustrated.     Octavo 

THE  STORY  OF  A  PIONEER 
By  ANNA  HOWARD  SHAW;    with  the  collaboration 

of  Elizabeth  Jordan 

Frontierswoman,  school-teacher,  preacher,  lecturer, 
minister,  physician,  worker  among  the  poor  —  and 
President  of  the  National  American  Woman's  Suffrage 
Association — Dr.  Anna  Shaw  tells  her  life  history  in  an 
astonishing  human  document.  Illustrated.  Crown  8vo 

MARK   TWAIN:  A  Biography 

By  ALBERT  BIGELOW  PAINE 
The  personal  and  literary  life  of  Samuel  Langhorne 
Clemens.  Three  volumes  in  a  box.     Octavo 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS 
NEW  YORK       ESTABLISHED  1817       LONDON 


RECENT   BOOKS  ON 

SPORTS  AND  GAMES 


EXPERT  AUCTION  By  E.  V.  SHEPARD 

This  book  on  Auction  Bridge  by  one  in  the  front 
rank  of  Auction  experts  is  suited  for  the  needs  of  the 
beginner  and  for  those  of  the  rated  player.  It  shows 
the  first  how  adepts  play  and  shows  the  latter  how  to 
play  even  better.  Post  8vo 

NEGLECTED  POINTS  OF  AUCTION  BRIDGE 
By  CARL  EHLERMANN,  JR. 

In  this  helpful  book  the  fine  points  which  are  most 
frequently  neglected  both  by  bridge  players  and  bridge 
editors  are  here  set  forth,  and  the  way,  not  merely  a 
way  of  playing  certain  situations  is  shown.  Post  8vo 

MODERN  DANCING 
By  MR.  AND  MRS.  VERNON  CASTLE 
In  this  book  the  Castles  themselves  tell  in  simple 
words  and  pictures  how  to  dance.     The  118  illustra- 
tions from  photographs  and  moving  pictures  make  it 
possible  for  every  reader  to  know  what  the  new  dances 
are  and  how  to  dance  them.        Illustrated.     Post  8vo 

A-B-C  OF  GOLF  By  JOHN  D.  DUNN 

In  this  manual  a  professional  golf  player  and  teacher 
has  incorporated  the  essential  principles  of  his  system, 
explained  in  untechnical  language,  and  adequately 
illustrated.  Illustrated.  i6mo 

A-B-C  OF  AUTOMOBILE  DRIVING 

By  ALPHEUS  HYATT  VERRILL 
Written  to  teach  beginners  how  to  operate  an  auto- 
mobile, and  to  show  those  who  are  already  proficient  the 
proper  way  to  drive  to  avoid  accident.          Hid.    i6mo 


HARPER  &   BROTHERS 
NEW  YORK       ESTABLISHED  1817       LONDON 


RECENT   BOOKS    FOR 

THE    HOUSEKEEPER 


DAINTIES  FOR  HOME  PARTIES 
By  FLORENCE  M.  WILLIAMS 

A  cook  book  for  dance-suppers,  bridge-parties, 
luncheons,  buffet-suppers,  teas,  and  receptions.  In 
this  little  volume  are  not  only  suggestive  ideas  for  the 
preparation  of  suitable  dainties,  but  the  exact  quantities 
necessary  to  serve  twenty-five  persons.  i6mo,  Cloth 

COOK  BOOK  OF  LEFT-OVERS 

A  collection  of  4.00  reliable  recipes  for  the  practical 
housekeeper,  by  Helen  Carroll  Clarke,  former  Instructor 
in  Cookery  in  Pratt  Institute,  Brooklyn,  and  Phoebe 
Deyo  Rulon,  former  Instructor  in  Invalid  Cookery  and 
Dietetics,  in  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York  City. 
Illustrated  with  Photographs.  i6mo,  Special  Water- 
proof Cloth 

SIMPLE  ITALIAN  COOKERY 
By  ANTONIA  ISOLA 

Compiled  by  an  American  who  has  lived  much  in 
Rome.  The  American  housekeeper  will  find  many 
interesting  and  valuable  suggestions  for  new  ways  of 
cooking  familiar  articles  of  food.  l6mo,  Cloth 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS 
NEW  YORK       ESTABLISHED  1817       LONDON 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  UBRARY  FACILITY 


A     000672723     4 


